Thomas & Friends: Seasons 13-16 Redux
by Hufflepuff Batboy
Summary: My attempt at rewriting certain episodes out of seasons 13-16 of Thomas and Friends to serve as a prequel of sorts to season 17 onwards. TODAY: Victor and Kevin face off many challenges when it comes to keeping the engines maintained in "Backlogged"!
1. Stanley and Charlie

**STANLEY AND CHARLIE**

**Based upon "Play Time" by Sharon Miller**

Stanley the silver tank engine is one of the newest members of Sir Topham Hatt's fleet. He works in Knapford yards as a shunting engine, but he is sometimes allowed to pull both passengers and goods on the mainline and on the branch lines. Stanley is a hard-working, responsible engine, but his biggest ambition was to become part of the group that consisted of Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Toby and Emily - the Steam Team.

* * *

One summer afternoon, Stanley was having a rest in the yards when Sir Topham Hatt came to speak to him.

"Hello, sir," said Stanley. "Did you want to see me about something?"

"Yes, Stanley; you've been working very hard since the restoration of Great Waterton," said Sir Topham Hatt, "and I'm very pleased with your ethic. But you can't handle the yards alone. That's why I decided to bring in another tank engine to help with shunting duties."

Stanley was puzzled. "But what about Rosie, sir?" he asked. "Can't she help with shunting as well?"

"I'm afraid Rosie's already got her own work to do," said Sir Topham Hatt, "but don't worry. I'm sure you'll make our newest acquisition feel very welcome."

"Newest acquisition?" asked Stanley. "Who is it?"

"Wait and see," said Sir Topham Hatt.

* * *

Early the following morning, Stanley was fast asleep in his shed when he was rudely awaken by an unfamiliar whistle.

"Gah! I'm up! I'm up!" he cried. "Who was it that blew their whistle at me?!"

"I did!" said a cheerful voice right next to him. Stanley jumped; standing before him was a purple saddle tank engine with six red wheels and the number fourteen on his cab. He looked a bit smaller than Stanley and far more excitable.

"Hi there!" said the purple engine. "I'm Charlie! And I see that your name is Stanley."

"How did you know-"

"I read your nameplate." Charlie beamed wider, but Stanley just frowned. Already, he'd had a bad feeling about the new arrival.

"Ah, Stanley!" said Sir Topham Hatt, walking over to the two saddle tank engines. "I see you've met Charlie."

"Yes, sir," said Stanley. "Though I had hoped it wouldn't have been like this."

"Well then," said Sir Topham Hatt, "I want you to show Charlie the ropes of the shunting yards so he can familiarize himself with how we do things on Sodor."

"I will, sir," Stanley promised.

"There's a good engine," said Sir Topham Hatt, and he walked away, leaving the two engines alone.

"Well, what are we waiting for, Stanley?" asked Charlie eagerly. "Let's get a move on!"

"My fire's not ready yet," said Stanley, "so it could take a while before we have to arrange the trains."

"Oh, that's no fun at all," Charlie sulked.

"Lots of things in life aren't that fun," Stanley admitted. "But a lot of that is very important."

Charlie just sulked. At long last, when Stanley had enough steam up, they set off to the yards.

* * *

"The first train we arrange for the day is Gordon's express," explained Stanley. "He usually has to take five or six green bogie coaches because there are a lot of people to take to the mainland."

"Does Gordon ever need help with that big a train?" asked Charlie.

"Usually when going over his own hill," said Stanley. "Edward often serves as a backing engine for him." Suddenly, Charlie had an idea.

"I know how we can make this job more exciting," he suggested. "Let's make it into a game! Each of us takes turns shunting a coach to the station. Then we take out and the other shunts a coach too."

"I think that's a bad idea, Charlie," said Stanley. "And not to mention inefficient. Gordon would be cross if we just shunted coaches one at a time."

"Aww, how can you make even _that_ boring?!" Charlie pouted.

"Better boring than reckless," remarked Stanley. He was coupled up to the express coaches and then took them to platform one, with Charlie reluctantly following.

"Come on, Stanley," begged Charlie as the silver tank engine shunted the coaches into place. "Let's do something fun!"

"Not when there's work to be done," said Stanley.

Charlie just sulked. He thought Stanley was one of the most boring engines he had ever met.

"You wouldn't know how to have fun if it bit you in the bunker," he grumbled.

"What was that?" asked Stanley.

"Nothing," said Charlie innocently. "Say, what do we do now that we've shunted Gordon's coaches?"

"There's a goods train scheduled to arrive later," said Stanley. "We'll have to take it off and rearrange the trucks when it arrives."

"Maybe we'll have fun with that!" said Charlie. "Whoever shunts the trucks the quickest will get to sleep at Tidmouth for one night!"

"No, thank you," Stanley declined. Secretly, he was afraid that if he took on the challenge, there was a chance that he'd lose an opportunity to share the same sheds with the Steam Team again. Besides, Stanley figured, he'd rather sleep at Tidmouth based off of an open opportunity, like one of the engines being away for an extended time on the mainland or under repairs.

Charlie, meanwhile, didn't understand. He thought the Island of Sodor was very boring and didn't understand what it meant to have fun.

* * *

As the day wore on, Charlie got more and more restless. Every time he suggested that he and Stanley have fun, it was always shot down and Charlie grew frustrated. Before long, the yard manager came to see Stanley.

"There's a load of slate needed for Wellsworth station roof," he said. "Stanley, I need you to deliver it straight away."

"But what about the yards?" asked Stanley. He knew that this was Charlie's first day and that he hadn't shown him everything the purple engine needed to know.

"You're the only engine available," the yard manager explained. "So I think you'd better get your train."

"Yes, sir," sighed Stanley, and he set off. This meant that Charlie would have to run the yard on his own until Stanley came back. The purple tank engine grinned widely when he saw the silver tank engine leaving with his train of slate.

"Finally," he said to himself. "Maybe now we can have a little fun around here." Just then, he heard a whistle, and pulling into the yard was Douglas.

"Oh, hello there," Charlie greeted. "Who are you?"

"I be Douglas," the bigger engine greeted. "Where might Stanley be?"

* * *

Out on the mainline, Stanley was making his way down to Wellsworth with his trucks loaded with slate.

"I hope Charlie's not making too much a mess of the yard while I'm gone," he said. "I swear, he's like a puppy in need of a good trainer."

* * *

Back at the yard, Charlie had been asked to take Douglas' train away for him so he could go rest.

"Now for a bit of fun," the purple engine giggled to himself. As he went about shunting, Charlie decided to change where the trucks and coaches usually go so he could make a game out of putting them back in the right order.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Wellsworth station, Stanley had made his delivery and decided to take on water for the return journey.

"It'll all be over soon," he said. "Just got to refill and check up on Charlie."

"Something on your mind, Stanley?" said a voice. Stanley looked over and saw Edward looking at him.

"It's that new engine Charlie," said Stanley, and he explained to Edward about the frustrating morning he'd had.

"Oh dear," sighed Edward. "Though I wouldn't be too worried about him. He's young yet, and just needs someone to keep him pointed in the right direction."

"But I've only been on Sodor for about a year at most," said Stanley. "I don't have the experience that many of you do."

"Well, I have a passenger train to take to Knapford," said Edward. "If you want, I could go down and have a talk with him."

"Oh, that would be great, Edward!" smiled Stanley. "Thanks." With that, Edward puffed away.

* * *

Edward made it to Knapford station safely and on time, but when he got to the yards, he couldn't believe what he was seeing! The yards were scattered with random assortments of trucks and coaches, and the station was full of engines angrily waiting for their trains.

"What's taking that silly engine so long?" James demanded. "How am I supposed to pull a passenger train without my coaches?"

"What possessed him into thinking it would be a good idea to scatter all our trains about?" asked Duck.

"Even the breakdown train's scattered all over the place!" remarked Thomas. He was referring to Judy and Jerome the breakdown cranes, their respective flatbeds, and the workman's coach. Judy was sandwiched between an express coach and a flatbed of pipes whilst Jerome was in between two open wagons.

"What will Sir Topham Hatt say when he sees this?" asked Emily. Edward noticed Charlie bustling about the yard, trying to put things back together.

"That must be Charlie," he said to himself. He called out to the purple engine. "Excuse me!" Charlie jumped and looked back towards the blue tender engine.

"You must be Charlie," said Edward. "Stanley told me about you. What are you doing?"

"Oh, er, just trying to tidy up the yard," Charlie stammered. "I'm a bit lost at it, though."

"A likely story!" shouted James. "My coaches aren't even in a line!"

Before Charlie could reply, he heard another whistle; it was Stanley.

"What in the name of Stephenson's Rocket happened here?" he asked, looking at the mess the yards were in.

"That is what I'd like to know as well," said another voice. Everyone looked to see Sir Topham Hatt looking about at the mess. He was not happy at all.

"Charlie, what in blazes have you done?" he demanded. "I brought you here to help organize trains, not make a mess of them!"

"I'm really sorry, sir," said Charlie sadly. "I thought the work on this island was a bit boring, so I tried to make a game out of it. I thought that if I rearranged all the trucks and coaches, I could put them back in their original order like a sort of memory game. But I don't have a very good memory. I wasn't trying to cause trouble for the railway. Honest. I just wanted to have a little fun."

"Well, your little game has caused a lot of confusion and delay for the railway," said Sir Topham Hatt sternly. "The yards are a serious workplace, not a playground!"

"That's what I kept trying to tell him," muttered Stanley.

"Would it be alright if I helped Charlie sort out the mess?" Edward offered.

"Very well," said Sir Topham Hatt. "I shall be having another word with Charlie later."

"Mind if I help too?" asked Stanley.

"We're going to need all the help we can get to get everyone's trains running," said Edward.

* * *

And so, Edward, Stanley and Charlie rushed about Knapford yards, bringing the trucks and coaches to their proper sidings and arranging the other engines' delayed trains. They even put the breakdown train back together again and put them onto their siding.

"Now _that's_ much better," remarked Jerome.

"I didn't like being stuck between a coach and a flatbed that wasn't mine," agreed Judy.

"But at least we'll be ready once again for an emergency," said Jerome.

* * *

Needless to say, the delays had upset the passengers. They told everyone what a bad railway it was. Despite the engines' best efforts, trains still ran late, and Sir Topham Hatt had stern words for Charlie that evening.

"There's nothing wrong with a little fun once in a while," he said, "but not if it disrupts important work like this. Because of the delays you've caused, people are laughing at my railway, and I do not like that at all."

"I know, sir," Charlie said quietly. "I'm sorry, sir."

"As punishment," Sir Topham Hatt went on, "you will stay in the shunting yards until you can understand the importance of hard work."

"Yes, sir..."

* * *

And so, Charlie stayed in the yards arranging trains where they needed to be. And to make sure he did his work properly, Edward and Stanley would take it in turns working with him.

"You brought this upon yourself, Charlie," Stanley scolded. "I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen to me."

"Don't be too harsh, Stanley," argued Edward. "Everybody slips up once in a while, even on their first day."

"I've hardly had a slip up since I first came here," muttered Stanley.

"Don't you mind him much, Charlie," assured Edward. "He's one of those engines who like to boast when they don't have accidents."

"You mean like those bigger tender engines?" Charlie asked innocently.

"Exactly."

* * *

Thankfully, Charlie didn't cause anymore delays after that. He takes his work seriously nowadays, and is sure to always listen to the other engines on what to do. He still likes having fun; he's that sort of engine, but he's learned that work _always_ comes before play.

That evening, Charlie was telling a joke to Thomas, Percy, and Emily.

"I've got a really good one for you three," he said eagerly. "When is the time on a clock like a train whistle?"

"I don't know," said Percy. "When _is_ the time on a clock like a train whistle?"

Charlie paused before giving the punchline. "When it's two to two!" This made the engines laugh. Stanley, however, was nearby when Charlie told his joke but didn't laugh.

"Good grief..." he groaned.

"You like that one?" asked Charlie, oblivious to the silver engine's distaste for his humor. "Cause I got a few more up my funnel! An engine and a truck go into a shed..."

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

Happy New Year, everyone! To celebrate, here's the first story of a project I've wanted to do since getting back in writing for _Thomas and Friends_. Rewriting episodes from seasons 13-16 to make a brand new season in the style of seasons 17-21, serving as a prequel of sorts to said seasons.

The first episode out of 26 is _Play Time_, Charlie's debut story. It's a really stupid episode that makes Thomas look like a bad role model for falling to peer pressure, and for the rewrite, I replaced Thomas with Stanley. The two engines' dynamic is that Charlie is a lot more goofy and laid back and Stanley is more serious and ambitious, especially when it comes to wanting to be a part of the Steam Team full time, which shall be covered in a future story. I even had Edward play a minor role as a mentor figure to Charlie towards the end, serving as a small callback to _Charlie and Eddie_ from season 14, except far better.

Every story from _Seasons 13-16 Redux_ will have a different set of leads, and the characters featured will be those from the model seasons that have already been rendered in full CGI by the time of season 21, plus the newbies from season 13-16 as well as Judy and Jerome. The few exceptions are Bulgy, Sidney (though he will make a few appearances) and the Logging Locos.

For every new story, there will be a list of the next five stories to remind you as to who the leads will be. So here are the next stories with their respective leads:

\- **_Don't Bother Victor_** \- The Skarloey Six

\- **_Tickled Pink_** \- James

\- **_Spencer the Grand_** \- Spencer, Harold

\- **_Snow Tracks_** \- The Pack, Trevor

\- **_A Blooming Mess_** \- Mavis, Arry and Bert


	2. A Problem for Duncan

**A PROBLEM FOR DUNCAN**

**Based upon "Don't Bother Victor!" by Sharon Miller**

Late one evening, Duncan returned to the sheds, grumbling more so than usual.

"Here we go," said Skarloey to Rheneas.

"Typical!" Duncan complained to no one in particular. "I have a minor hiccup at the crossing when a wheel started to come loose, and then my driver had to check it before we got a move on. The passengers complained that I was late!"

"Your wheel nearly came off _again_?" asked Peter Sam. "That's the third time this week."

"I don't know about you, but I'm concerned," said Rusty. "We all must be in good condition if we are to keep running the railway."

"Rusty's got a point," said Sir Handel. "It wouldn't do us good to suddenly break down in the middle of the line."

"We all do need to get some rest," said Rheneas. "We can't be tired in the morning."

"I suppose we do need a bit of shut eye," said Skarloey. "It's getting late, and I have the mail to take in the morning."

* * *

Soon, all six engines were fast asleep. But Duncan wasn't asleep for long, as he woke up to the sound of Mr. Percival talking to his crew.

"He has been breaking down a lot lately," said Duncan's driver.

"I see," said Mr. Percival thoughtfully.

"The passengers were really anxious about missing their connection," sighed Duncan's fireman.

"We may have to take him out of service..." Mr. Percival was saying, but then some rain began to fall. Duncan gasped quietly to himself.

"Taken out of service?!" he whispered to himself in shock. "Oh no... It must be because I complain a lot..." Duncan thought he saw his friends stirring in their sleep, but they didn't wake up.

"Well, it looks like it's the end for me... Unless... No!" Duncan decided at last. "I'll work me hardest without complainin' once! Maybe that'll convince Mr. Percival to keep me in service." Smiling to himself, Duncan started to fall fast asleep like the others.

* * *

The next morning, Duncan woke up in an unusually cheerful mood.

"Good mornin', everyone," he said, much to his friends' confusion.

"It's not like you to be so cheerful when waking up," remarked Rusty.

"I just... slept well last night," Duncan said with a shrug.

"I see," said Rusty, unconvinced.

"Well, we'd better get down to business anyway," said Peter Sam. "Let's get moving!"

"Right ye are!" grinned Duncan eagerly. "What are we waitin' for?" The other five engines raised eyebrows.

"He was almost as cheerful as you, Peter Sam," Sir Handel commented as they started to leave.

"It's so unlike Duncan," agreed Peter Sam. "What's with him?"

"You don't think Skarloey and Rheneas told him a ghost story, do you?" Sir Handel guessed.

"We haven't," said Skarloey, having heard their conversation. "If we had, we'd have known about it."

"Oh... sorry," said Peter Sam. "Well, what else could it be then?"

"It's a mystery," said Rusty. "Too bad we're not people, then we could get out clipboards and detective hats."

"If we _were_ people, then we could stand around talking about this, but we have to get to work," said Rheneas. "We'll have to ask Duncan what's going on when we see him."

* * *

Duncan had found his goods train in the yard.

"Ah, there it is," he said as cheerfully as he could. "I'd better get this to the Blue Mountain Quarry on time." Duncan started away, trying to be careful not to let anything happen to him.

* * *

On his way to the quarry, Duncan saw Sir Handel coming with a passenger train in the opposite direction.

"Good day, Sir Handel," he greeted.

"Hello, Duncan," said Sir Handel.

"How are ye doing today?" asked Duncan.

"I'd say quite well, considering," said Sir Handel.

"Did ye get a chance to see Luke today?" Duncan had asked that question in a much quieter voice.

"I did see him before picking up my passengers," Sir Handel explained. "Poor thing is terrified Mr. Percival would do something to him."

"Uh... yes, that can be rough to think about," Duncan admitted.

"Are you okay?" asked Sir Handel. "You've been acting... different, this morning."

"Well, I was just in a good mood this mornin'," Duncan shrugged. "It may seem unusual, but I have me good days."

"Right..." said Sir Handel. He was about ready to leave, when he glanced at Duncan one more time. "Keeping secrets can be hurtful at times, Duncan."

Duncan was left in silence, remembering back to when Sir Handel and Peter Sam had their big secret about Duke and their old line. Right now, Duke was on a lengthy overhaul. Him being locked up in the old shed for years had done a number on him.

"I'd better get a move on," he said to himself. "Maybe I can check on Luke meself."

* * *

But as he continued his journey to the Blue Mountain Quarry, Duncan began to feel something funny inside.

"Ugh, that feels uncomfortable," Duncan muttered to himself. "But I can't tell me friends or Mr. Percival. What if I'm sent away?"

* * *

Further down at the Blue Mountain Quarry, Skarloey was gathering some trucks of stone to take back to Crovan's Gate.

"Thanks for lending a buffer, Luke," he smiled.

"Always happy to help," the pea green engine replied. "I sometimes wish I could venture out further than here."

"I know, Luke," said Skarloey sympathetically, but before either engine could say anymore, they heard the sounds of an engine coming.

"Oh no. Bye, Skarloey!" Luke quickly raced into a tunnel. To Skarloey's relief, it was Duncan coming into the quarry.

"It's okay, Luke," Skarloey said. "It's Duncan."

Luke puffed out of the tunnel. "Hey, Duncan."

"Hello, you two," smiled Duncan. He didn't sound healthy, but he didn't want either Luke or Skarloey to know about it.

"Are you alright?" asked Luke.

"Aye, never better!" Duncan continued to grin, but Skarloey wasn't convinced.

"Duncan, what's going on?" Skarloey asked. "If you tell us what the matter is, we can help you."

"I'm telling you, I'm fine," Duncan insisted.

"We are your friends, Duncan," said Luke. "You can tell us anything." But Duncan just got his trucks loaded and puffed out of the quarry.

"Oh dear," said Skarloey worriedly. "He just won't let up and tell us what's wrong, will he?"

"That's Duncan for you," said Luke. Just then, there was the sound of Douglas' whistle coming in to pick up some stone for Brendam docks. Once again, Luke raced away into the tunnel so he wouldn't be seen by the Scottish goods engine.

"If only Luke would meet the other engines willingly," Skarloey sighed quietly. "Ah, good day, Douglas," he greeted the black tender engine as he pulled up.

* * *

Back on his run, Duncan was doing decently despite circumstances.

"Mustn't stop, mustn't complain, mustn't stop, mustn't complain," he repeated to himself.

"He's not letting up." Duncan's driver shook his head to the fireman. His crew had every reason to be concerned, because the harder Duncan worked, the worse his problems became.

"Ugh... that doesn't feel good either," Duncan said under his breath. "But I must carry on with my work."

But then there was trouble. Duncan came to a grinding halt in the middle of the line with steam flying everywhere.

"Oh no!" he groaned. "The one time I try to be cheerful and work hard without complaints, and everything backfires on me! What am I to do now..."

* * *

Later, Rheneas came along with the breakdown train.

"Oh, hello, Duncan," he said, surprised to see the yellow engine. "What's happened?"

"Uh... I... had a mechanical fault," Duncan admitted. "Shouldn't be too big a worry."

"I'm afraid it may as well be," sighed his driver. "One of your steampipes has burst. Sorry, old boy."

Duncan sighed and looked down at his buffers sadly. "I guess it's the end for me..."

Rheneas looked very confused. "Duncan, that can't be right."

"I overheard Mr. Percival talkin' to me crew last night," explained Duncan. "I think he wants to get rid of me, all because I complain whenever I'm workin'..."

"Mr. Percival wouldn't do something as ridiculous as that," Rheneas insisted.

"He wouldn't?"

"Goodness, no," Rheneas sighed. "We've all been here for years, some longer than others, and such a thing hasn't happened to any of us."

"But he said somethin' about me bein' taken out of service," Duncan argued.

"You're right about that," said the yellow engine's driver, "but because you're overdue for an overhaul."

Duncan blinked and glanced back at his crew with an embarrassed face and blushed all over. "That's all it was?"

"That's right," said Duncan's driver.

"Well, now I feel foolish..." muttered Duncan. "Rheneas, do you think you can help me get this stone to Crovan's Gate?"

"Of course," Rheneas smiled as he got coupled to the train.

* * *

Both Rheneas and Duncan headed back down to Crovan's Gate where Mr. Percival was waiting. Duncan looked worried as his controller spoke up.

"Duncan," sighed Mr. Percival, "why didn't you say you needed an overhaul in the first place instead of me having to wait for your crew to tell me this?"

"I kept on thinkin' it was nothin' to worry about," Duncan said quietly. "And then when I overheard you say that you would 'take me out of service', I... thought that was it."

"Duncan," said Mr. Percival, "I care very much about all my engines and I would never wish that fate upon any of you. If something is wrong, please feel free to tell me about it."

"Of course, sir," said Duncan. "I will, sir."

"Thank you," said Mr. Percival. "Rheneas, tell the others that starting tomorrow, I'll split Duncan's jobs evenly between the five of you."

"Yes, sir," smiled Rheneas. He shunted Duncan into the sheds before heading back to work.

* * *

Duncan still felt silly for jumping to conclusions, but at least he felt relief in knowing that he would still have a place on the railway.

"At least I can get a rest after workin' me wheels off," he said to himself.

* * *

Later at the sheds, the remaining five engines were turning in for the night.

"I can't believe Duncan acted cheerful all day," said Rusty. "That's kind of crazy."

"It's too bad he doesn't act like that on a regular basis," said Peter Sam.

"But he'll always be the same grumpy engine we know and love," said Rheneas. The five engines all gave a good laugh before falling fast asleep.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

That was the _Don't Bother Victor_ rewrite, featuring Duncan as the main character, which is ironic as he didn't appear in the actual episode save for a mention that wasn't resolved as he wasn't rendered at the time. The actual episode only really stands out as it was the Skarloey engines' first appearance in the CGI series, not to mention that the story was basically _The Green Controller_ from season ten. For the rewrite, I've provided an explanation as to why Duncan looked different when he came back in _Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger_, being given a new shape during his overhaul. I even included Luke for a bit of foreshadowing to his presence in _Blue Mountain Mystery_.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- **_Tickled Pink_** \- James

\- **_Spencer the Grand_** \- Spencer, Harold

\- **_Snow Tracks_** \- The Pack, Trevor

\- **_A Blooming Mess_** \- Mavis, Arry and Bert

\- _**Steamy Sodor**_ \- Kevin


	3. Paint the Railway Pink

**PAINT THE RAILWAY PINK**

**Based upon "Tickled Pink" by Allan Plenderleith**

James the red engine is very proud of his paintwork. He's especially proud when it's been freshly applied and sometimes can't resist showing it off to everyone he meets. Recently, however, his paintwork had faded and some parts were in need of replacing, so Sir Topham Hatt had sent his number five engine to the Steamworks for an overhaul.

"I shan't be here long," James said on the way to the Steamworks. "I'll be back in service as soon as Victor and the workmen replace my worn parts!"

The other engines who have heard about this all groaned at this news. They knew that James would boast about it for hours upon end because he was that sort of engine.

* * *

The next morning, James arrived at the Steamworks. His fire had been dropped in order for his boiler to cool down before his overhaul could begin. Victor and Kevin were also there to make sure that James was in good hands for when his worn parts have been replaced.

"And we will make sure that you will receive a new coat of paint by the time your worn parts are replaced, my friend," Victor said to James. "But do not worry, your overhaul shan't take that long."

"Perfect!" smiled James. "I'll come back more splendid than ever!"

"Kevin!" called Victor. "Have you got those new tubes for James?"

"Hold on a second!" called Kevin from a distance. "I think I've just found the right ones!" He was suddenly interrupted by a loud clanging sound. Victor and James both knew what this meant; when it comes to Kevin trying his best to help out at the Steamworks, he can be a bit careless, if not clumsy.

"Sorry, boss! It was a slip of a hook!" he called back again.

Victor sighed. "Yes, we know, Kevin... we know..."

* * *

James spent a long time at the Steamworks, and it wasn't long before boredom began to settle in. Although he had Victor and Kevin for company, as well as the occasional engine coming in for a minor checkup, James felt very lonely.

* * *

Eventually, all his worn parts were replaced, and all the tests had been done to make sure that James had been mended properly. Finally, they had come to the part of the overhaul that James had anticipated the most.

"At last! A new coat of red paint!" he sighed contentedly. "Just what a fine engine like me needs! Just wait until the others see how splendid I look!"

The workmen then started scraping off the old coat of red paint so that they could place in a special sort of "undercoat". The first undercoat was gray, and the second was pink before the final paint job could be applied. James' second undercoat had just been dried off and was waiting eagerly for his new red paint when a workman came up to him with his crew.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news, James," the workman said, raising his hat and scratching his head. "But we seem to be out of red paint for the time being. We have called in a new shipment of red paint to be delivered, but the engine delivering it from the other railway has broken down. I'm afraid it won't arrive for the next two days."

James was shocked when he heard the news! He now knew what this would mean; he would have to wait for a new shipment to arrive and worse still, he would have to go out in his temporary undercoat of pink paint!

"But I can't go out looking like this!" he retorted. "The other engines will laugh at me for sure! I know they will!"

"We're sorry, James," said Victor sympathetically, "but I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about it for the time being."

"At least you can still enjoy your passenger runs," added Kevin, trying to lighten the mood.

But James didn't want to right at this moment. He refused to move; the last thing he wanted was the other engines to laugh at his pink pant, but it was no good. His driver and fireman raised steam and James, blushing with embarrassment, puffed out of the Steamworks and out onto the open line.

* * *

Sir Handel was waiting at Crovan's Gate station when he saw James puffing through.

"Wait a minute," he exclaimed as he saw James puff past. "Was that James!? He's painted bright pink!" And he began laughing uncontrollably. James heard him laugh and blushed with embarrassment. As he passed the engine sheds, Skarloey, Rheneas, Peter Sam and Rusty all chortled as James steamed by. The now-pink engine pouted with embarrassment.

* * *

But there was worse to come. As he finally arrived at Knapford station, Gordon, Henry, Emily, Donald and Douglas were there. They all laughed when they saw James return to the station in his new coat of bright pink paint.

"So this is your new splendid paint, little James?" chortled Gordon loudly.

"No," James sulked. "It's supposed to be an undercoat..."

"Well, whatever you call it, I'd think it's cute," chortled Henry. James just seethed with fury and went off, once again to another chorus of laughter from the other engines.

"I knew they were all going to laugh at me..." he sighed to himself.

* * *

James didn't want to be seen as he backed into Tidmouth sheds. What if the red paint never arrived and this would be his new permanent paint job? He would be a laughingstock forever, and James knew the engines would never let him forget it. Diesel even said he looked like a giant sausage on wheels!

* * *

The next day, the red paint still hadn't arrived and much to his dismay, he would have to tend to his usual duties whilst wearing this ridiculous livery. The engines still laughed at him. To make matters worse, even the trucks found it the most funny sight in the whole world and wouldn't stop laughing.

"Ooh, look at this, lads!" giggled one truck. "James has gotten himself a new coat of paint!"

"Pretty good choice!" added another. "Guess red just isn't your color, after all, isn't it?" James was furious!

"Be quiet!" he snapped and gave the trucks a fierce shove, but it didn't improve the situation. Everywhere James went, with his passengers or trucks, all eyes would fall on him and was either laughed or commented at. James began to feel very depressed.

* * *

James was taking a stopping passenger train when he arrived at Wellsworth station. Edward was there, waiting to take a goods train down his branch line.

"Hello, James," he said. James just sighed a quiet "hello" in reply. Edward noticed that James looked upset. Of course, he knew why. He had heard about the embarrassment James had recently been through.

"Cheer up, James," he said kindly. "I think you look rather striking in that livery."

"Well, I don't," sighed James. "It's ugly and horrid. I feel like an engine who was painted to look like a silly one, instead of being painted red which shows a true mark of a really useful engine. I just don't feel like I could cope anymore."

Edward smiled reassuringly. "Rosie wears her lavender livery every day and yet she gets along fine. But I suppose it's because she's quite used to it and I can understand that you're not used to it yourself."

"It's just that ever since I was repainted from black," said James, "I felt that red has become part of who I was. It gave me an identity I could embrace every working day than if I was blue or green. I stood out in my own way. Not that blue or green doesn't look good on you or Henry, of course..."

Edward was surprised to hear that, and smiled proudly for him. "I never thought of it like that," he said. "Take my advice, James; if that's how you really feel about your red paint, then you should keep positive about it and I'm sure that Sir Topham Hatt will see to it that you shall have your red paint again."

At that moment, the guard blew his whistle and James set off once more, still feeling very low, but of course, as he puffed along, he did think about what Edward had said and it made some kind of sense to him.

"This pink undercoat's only temporary," he said to himself. "I'll show them that I am still useful, even without my red paint!" Instead of feeling embarrassed, a new sense of confidence had grown somewhere in James' smokebox, but he wasn't sure how he was able to prove himself.

* * *

The next morning, James woke up ready to start another day until his driver and fireman came running up to him.

"Wake up, James," said his driver. "Sir Topham Hatt needs us at Knapford for an important train. Henry was supposed to take it, but he's failed and they need you to take over."

James was a bit unsure of this idea, but Gordon, who had heard this, wasn't pleased.

"A special train?!" he spluttered. "And they're asking this pink engine to take it instead of a fine strong engine like me?!"

But James didn't hear Gordon's complaining as he left the sheds for the station. When he arrived, Stanley had just shunted a rake of four red coaches into place. The silver engine tried his best not to laugh as he shunted them into place.

"Here you go, James," he said, trying to maintain his composure. James rolled his eyes as the passengers got on board. Sir Topham Hatt was there to see James off.

"I still feel silly looking like this, sir," he said.

"Well, you do seem a bit unusual, James," chuckled Sir Topham Hatt, "but the men at the Steamworks have made sure that you were in good working order. I've just received a telephone call from them saying that you shall be given your red paint again soon enough. So don't worry about it."

As James waited for the guard, he noticed Henry standing on the siding, his safety valve having burst before he could take the train. James quietly smirked at the big green engine; at least a bit of poetic justice had been served.

At last, the guard's whistle sounded and he waved his green flag. With a blow of his own whistle, James pulled out of the station.

* * *

James still felt uncomfortable going out in his pink paint, but as the journey went on, he hardly seemed to notice as he took in the countryside.

_Maybe Edward is right all along,_ James thought to himself. And with his confidence growing, he no longer had a reason to feel embarrassed. He was still really useful and even Sir Topham Hatt thought so as well, so James took it in his stride for the rest of the journey.

"Let them laugh at my pink paint!" he declared triumphantly. "I'll show them! I'll show them!" And he kept puffing on giving his passengers a run to remember.

* * *

At last, he arrived at Vicarstown station. By that point, James didn't care if people laughed at him wearing a pink livery. Sir Topham Hatt had been on the train and came to speak with his number five engine.

"Well done, James," he praised. "The reason I wanted to ride on your train today was to see if your overhaul has met some remarkable results and they have certainly done you good."

"They certainly have, sir," said James. "Though I don't think I can live with a permanent pink coat of paint."

"Indeed not, James," agreed Sir Topham Hatt. "I think it's time you went back to the Steamworks to get a livery that suits you best."

With a cheerful toot of his whistle, James steamed away to the Steamworks, looking forward to receive his true livery once more.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

_Tickled Pink_ is undoubtedly one of the highlights of season 13; ever since that episode aired, many similarities have been made to the Railway Series story _Henry Sees Red_ from _Henry and the Express_. For this rewrite, I decided to incorporate elements of the same story into the TV episode, pretty much like how Andrew Brenner incorporated elements of _Sliding Scales_ into _The Smelly Kipper_.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- **_Spencer the Grand_** \- Spencer, Harold

\- **_Snow Tracks_** \- The Pack, Trevor

\- **_A Blooming Mess_** \- Mavis, Arry and Bert

\- _**Steamy Sodor**_ \- Kevin

\- _**Pingy Pongy Pick Up**_ \- Emily


	4. Look for the Light

**LOOK FOR THE LIGHT**

**Based upon "Spencer the Grand" by Jessica Sandys Clarke**

Spencer is not one of the North Western Railway's residents; instead, he hails from the mainland, owned by the Duke and Duchess of Boxford. He often takes them to Sodor for holidays. On his last visit, while helping on the construction of the Duke and Duchess' new summerhouse, Spencer had attempted to have Hiro, the Master of the Railway, scrapped. Since then, very few engines had been looking forward to the next time he came to Sodor.

* * *

"Have you all heard?" asked Henry as he backed into his place in the shed. "We have a visitor coming soon."

"I swear, if it's Spencer..." James began.

"I spoke with Sir Topham Hatt today," said Emily. "It _is_ Spencer, I'm afraid."

"After he tried to have Hiro scrapped, he's _still_ welcome here?" boomed Gordon.

"I still wonder why Diesel is still welcome here, after telling lies about Duck," Percy said quietly.

"That was different," James insisted. "The worst Diesel's done is play petty tricks on us, while Spencer attempted to have one of his own kind sent for scrap!"

"You have a point, James," said Edward. "We mustn't take any risks." Thomas was the only engine who hadn't said a word since the topic was brought up. He had been there when Spencer apologized to Hiro, and although still weary of the silver engine, Thomas could tell Spencer did feel remorse for his behavior.

"Are you alright, Thomas?" asked Toby, who was on one of his regular visits to Tidmouth sheds. "You've been awfully quiet."

"I was just... thinking," said Thomas. "If someone is truly remorseful of what they've done, you'd be willing to give them a second chance, right?"

"I suppose that's true," Toby said thoughtfully. "Why do you mention this now?"

"I... saw Spencer apologize to Hiro," Thomas said. "I didn't mention anything as he'd left just as soon as work on the summerhouse was done."

Toby blinked in surprise. "Are you sure he was genuine?"

"He could be saying that just to get on our good side," sniffed Gordon.

"I think Gordon's right," said James. "What if Spencer suddenly goes after one of us?"

"We shouldn't take any chances," said Henry. "Stay away from Spencer at all costs." The engines all murmured to each other in agreement and started to go to sleep.

* * *

The following day, Spencer arrived back on Sodor for a visit.

"Hello, Sodor," he announced. "I'm back for... huh?" All the engines were up and at their jobs well ahead of time, actively avoiding Spencer.

"No welcome," muttered Spencer. "Humph! Perhaps I'll see them later."

* * *

Down at the sheds, Emily was resting. Her first train wasn't due out til later in the day, and she was enjoying her peace and quiet.

"It's good to get some rest once in a while," Emily said to herself. The Stirling engine's peace was soon interrupted by a whistle.

"Oh, it's Spencer," she said crossly.

"Emily," greeted Spencer. "Been a while since I saw you."

"Not long enough," grunted Emily.

"Very well, maybe my last visit wasn't too long ago," muttered Spencer. "But I'm glad to be back. Why aren't you glad I'm back?"

"You know why," said Emily darkly, and that was all she said. Spencer's breath caught in his throat at Emily's words. Now he knew why the engines were actively avoiding him.

"Maybe coming back here wasn't such a good idea," Spencer muttered to himself. The silver engine left the sheds to go to the water tower.

"I said I was sorry," he grunted. "What else can I do?" Just then, the Duke and Duchess of Boxford arrived to see Spencer.

"Spencer," said the Duchess, "we are due to have a dinner with Sir Topham Hatt and his family this evening at Callan Castle."

"Of course, your Grace," said Spencer.

"You are to take us there," said the Duke, "but you must be checked out at the Steamworks to see if you are good to go for the evening."

"Of course," said Spencer, his mood dropping once more. If Emily didn't want to talk to him, why would Victor or Kevin?

* * *

Down at the Steamworks, Victor and Kevin were busy overseeing repairs as usual.

"Everything's going smoothly over here, boss," called Kevin.

"That's good," said Victor. "Duncan's overhaul will take a while yet." Just then, both heard a whistle.

"Oh no..." groaned Victor.

"Please don't tell me..." sighed Kevin.

"Good day, Victor and Kevin," Spencer announced as he came in. "I'm here to make sure that I'm good to go for the evening; the Duke and Duchess have dinner at Callan Castle this evening with the Hatts."

"I see..." Victor said quietly. Kevin looked too scared to even attempt speaking.

"Well, are you going to give me an inspection or what?" Spencer sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Er, of course," Victor said, then dropped his voice to a whisper. "Kevin, I advise you to keep back as much as possible."

"Understood, boss," said Kevin, and drove off to another part of the works. Spencer sighed as he watched Kevin rush off.

_If they don't trust me, why should I trust them?_ the silver engine thought to himself. Still, the workmen of the Steamworks made sure that Spencer was in good working order, and they had just finished when one of them spotted something wrong.

"Oh dear," he said, glancing back. "One of Spencer's headlamps is broken."

"What?" cried Spencer. "That's not possible; my driver makes sure they're in fine working order."

"It must have been damaged by accident," replied the workman.

"We have no time to repair it," said another.

"I hope it's not too bad," said Spencer. "I'll only need one to see at night."

"Come on, ol' boy," said the driver. "We'd better get going."

"I suppose," said Spencer as he puffed away.

"Good riddance," muttered Victor.

"Maybe he'll get lost out there," Kevin said quietly.

"After what nearly happened to Hiro, I wouldn't mind if he did," Victor agreed. With that, both engine and crane rushed back to work.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spencer went to pick up his passengers.

"There you are, Spencer," greeted the Duchess. "Right on time."

"Thank you, Your Grace," smiled Spencer; he didn't even mention the broken headlamp.

"The dinner awaits us," said the Duke, getting aboard with his wife and the Hatts. By now, fog had started to settle across Sodor, which would make things harder to see.

"This fog is nothing I can't handle," said Spencer with confidence. He then ventured out into the fog.

"Let's keep the pace, ol' boy," said his driver. "We can't be late."

"Indeed we can't," said Spencer.

* * *

But as the fog grew thicker, it became difficult for the signalman to see if Spencer was coming, especially with one headlamp out of action.

"No sign of that Spencer yet," the signalman muttered. "Maybe Edward's train was due before him." But it _wasn't_ Edward who had been passing by; when the signalman heard the engine's whistle, he was horrified!

"Spencer!" he gasped. "Oh no, he can't go onto the branch line!" But it was already too late. "Oh dear..." muttered the signalman.

* * *

Spencer was unaware of what happened and carried on his way.

"We're almost there," grinned Spencer. "Maybe this will help get me into the engines' good books." But then, Spencer started to hear the sound of the ocean.

"That can't be right," he said to himself. "I shouldn't be anywhere near the ocean..."

"Shiver me axles!" came a voice. "I wasn't expecting any visitors."

Spencer gasped as he now realized where he was. "Brendam docks?!" he exclaimed in shock.

"That be right..." said Salty; he was going to say "matey", but was startled as he realized just who had arrived.

"This isn't where I'm meant to be," Spencer growled. "I have to get the Duke and Duchess and the Hatts to Callan Castle."

"Spencer? What the devil is going on?" It was the Duke of Boxford, sticking is head out of the carriage window.

"Uh... nothing to worry about, your Grace," said Spencer. "Little bit of misdirection is all; I'll have you heading for your dinner as soon as possible!"

"Misdirection?!" cried Sir Topham Hatt. "Spencer, what is going on?"

"I-I don't know how to explain it, sir," admitted Spencer, "but we've somehow ended up at Brendam docks."

"I see..." sighed Sir Topham Hatt. "A signalman sent us here, no doubt."

"Actually, sir," Spencer admitted, now feeling very silly, "one of my headlamps broke and we didn't have time to replace it."

"Spencer, how could you have not done that?!" snapped Sir Topham Hatt. "That was highly irresponsible."

"Well, if the engines and their non-rail companions can't trust me, how can I trust them?" Spencer retorted. Sir Topham Hatt was about to reply, but then he quickly understood where the silver engine was coming from the last time he visited.

"Trust issues..." Sir Topham Hatt sighed. "I know what you mean. I've experienced these myself, Spencer."

"You have?"

"Have Donald and Douglas told you about their first few weeks or so here?" asked Sir Topham Hatt.

"No, I don't think they have," Spencer admitted.

"When they first arrived, I was determined to send one of them back," Sir Topham Hatt explained. "This was because I didn't think I needed two engines. However, I underestimated the engines' loyalty to each other, both the twins and my other current engines at the time."

"They do not let up at all," Spencer gasped in astonishment. "I wish I was lucky to have engines who were supportive of me during my time of need." Now it was Sir Topham Hatt who was surprised.

"You were in a time of need too?" he asked.

"To make a long story short, I was in a scrapyard years ago," Spencer explained. "None of the engines bothered to give me compassion and... well, it turned me bitter."

"But then Matthew's father bought you and had you restored to working order," said the Duchess, having overheard the silver engine.

"And then was passed down onto us. You remember, Julia, as part of my father's will," insisted her husband.

"That does explain quite a lot," said Sir Topham Hatt.

"But now, I'm wondering if we'll ever get to Callan Castle for dinner at all," said the Duke worriedly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Harold the helicopter was doing his routine flight around Sodor.

"This fog will make it difficult for everyone to see," he said anxiously. "I hope the engines have their headlights on."

"So do I, Harold," agreed his pilot. "I don't like the looks of this."

"The fog will clear soon enough," Harold reassured, but then his light caught something unusual. "Eh? What's this?" Harold flew further out towards the strange sight.

"What on earth... Spencer?!"

"Er... one of my headlamps broke," Spencer told him sheepishly. "Look, I know I'm not in everyone's good books right now, but can you help me find my way? The Duke and Duchess and the Hatt family need to get to a dinner at Callan Castle."

"I suppose I will, for _them_," said Harold. He had been told of Hiro's treatment from Spencer by Percy shortly after the Japanese engine left.

"Thank you very much," said Spencer gratefully. "I'm sure they will appreciate your assistance."

"Of course," sighed Harold. "This way, everyone." Spencer started to follow the helicopter's light gratefully, wondering if anyone would trust him on Sodor.

* * *

Further down the line, Edward was at a red signal.

"Driver, why have we stopped?" asked Edward.

"I'm not sure," he replied, "but I reckon the signalman will tell us what's up."

The signalman then walked over. "Er... I accidentally sent Spencer down the branch line."

Before more could be said, Spencer's whistle sounded and even the gentle Edward didn't say a word to him. He was a firm believer of there being a second chance, but nearly bringing the scrapping of a fellow engine was just too much.

Spencer, however, wasn't focused on what the other engines thought of him right now. He was just hoping he wasn't too late for his passengers' dinner at the castle.

* * *

Spencer raced along as fast as he was allowed to, with buildings and trees flashing by.

"Must get there, must get there," he muttered to himself.

"If it weren't for the Duke and Duchess of Boxford, you wouldn't be allowed to come back here," muttered Harold. Spencer chose to ignore the helicopter and carried on his way.

"Oh dear, there's a truck!" cried Harold.

"What?!" gasped Spencer, and he stopped abruptly to save his passengers. "If this is some kind of joke..." he began, but the silver engine felt his buffers lightly tap something.

"It... _is_ a truck," gasped Spencer. "How did that get here?"

"It must have gotten loose from a goods train," said Spencer's driver.

"I could've smashed into it if it hadn't been for Harold," remarked Spencer. The silver engine looked up at Harold. "Er... thank you for saving me from a collision."

"Just doing my job," said Harold. Spencer had to move the truck into a nearby siding before carrying on his way.

"I guess trust must be a two-way street," said Spencer to himself. "I'm the one who messed up in the eyes of everyone else, so I've got to work to gain back everyone's trust."

* * *

Eventually, Spencer got his passengers to Callan Castle safely.

"Thank you, Spencer," said Sir Topham Hatt. "I know things may not look too good for you right now, but just remember what I said."

"Of course, sir," said Spencer. "I will, sir."

Spencer knew that it would be a long and rough climb, but he was determined to get back in everyone's good books, and that someday, they would trust him again.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

I don't know what the general consensus is on Spencer as a character, but I think that he serves as a great foil to Gordon, but lately, it feels like he's just there as a regular visitor to Sodor. As for _Spencer the Grand_, I feel like this was one of the few season 15 episodes with a decent premise, but bogged down by poor writing decisions. That being said, I rewrote this to serve as a follow-up to _Hero of the Rails_, showcasing the consequences as to how the engines and vehicles now feel about Spencer following his attempts to have Hiro scrapped. I even gave Spencer a bit of a backstory to explain why he acted the way he did in said special, and hopefully it's understandable enough so you can understand his motivations.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- **_Snow Tracks_** \- The Pack, Trevor

\- **_A Blooming Mess_** \- Mavis, Arry and Bert

\- _**Steamy Sodor**_ \- Kevin

\- _**Pingy Pongy Pick Up**_ \- Emily

\- **_The Biggest Present of All_** \- Thomas, Hiro


	5. Dump Trucks on Ice

**DUMP TRUCKS ON ICE**

**Based upon "Snow Tracks" by Alan Hescott**

Winter had come to the Island of Sodor, and that meant snow was soon on its way. Trevor the traction was resting in the Vicarage Orchard when Jem Cole came to start him up.

"We're going to be really busy this winter," he said as he stoked Trevor's fire. "Probably our busiest yet! That means lots of firewood to gather for everyone to keep warm."

"That is a lot to do for the winter, Jem," remarked Trevor. "I wonder if we're going to need help in gathering all that wood."

"I've decided to ask Miss Jenny if she could spare a few of her machines to help with the gathering," said Jem. "That should take a lot of load off of you."

"It sure would," smiled Trevor gratefully.

* * *

At the Sodor Construction Company yard, the machines looked out at the snow.

"Look at all that snow outside," said Jack excitedly. "Doesn't it look pretty out there?"

"But also quite dangerous," added Oliver. "Especially if it involves _those two_..." he added, staring hard at Max and Monty, who just smiled innocently.

"Who, us?" asked Max.

"Don't worry," added Monty. "We'll be on our best behavior."

"If you say so," replied Oliver suspiciously.

Presently, Miss Jenny arrived. "I've just received a call from Jem Cole at Wellsworth," she said to her crew. "We're to help out him and Trevor in gathering firewood for the winter."

"What're they going to need all that firewood for?" asked Alfie.

"To keep them warm during winter," replied Oliver.

"Just like how Thomas and Percy use coal to keep them warm," added Jack.

"Oh, I see," said Alfie.

"Oliver's right," said Miss Jenny. "Also, there's going to be a blizzard some time this week, and remember..."

"Safety first!" said Jack, Alfie and Oliver together.

"That's why you'll need to be fitted with snow chains on your tires in order to get a proper grip on the roads when they get too icy," said Miss Jenny.

"Snow chains?" grumbled Max. "We've never had to use them before."

"We can manage just fine," added Monty. But Jack, Alfie and Oliver were concerned.

"You two had better be careful," warned Oliver. "Snow and ice can make things difficult to manage..."

"Pah!" snorted Max. "We can handle any weather, can't we, Monty?"

"Too true, Max," agreed Monty.

* * *

Later, Jack and Alfie were both fitted with snow chains. Oliver didn't need snow chains because he had caterpillar tracks instead of wheels like Terence, so he could already get a grip on icy roads. Still, he knew to take care in such conditions as they arrived at the vicarage orchard where Trevor and Jem Cole were waiting.

"We're glad you're here to help," called Trevor. "There's a lot of trees that need to be cut down into firewood this winter."

"Always happy to lend our services," smiled Jack.

"This'll be an easy task for us," grinned Max to Trevor.

"We can carry more in our dumpers than you can in that dainty little cart of yours," agreed Monty.

"Max and Monty!" scolded Oliver. "We're here to help, not ridicule! I'm very sorry about them, Trevor," he said to the traction engine.

"It's alright, Oliver," smiled Trevor. "I don't let hooligans like them get to me that easily."

"'Hooligans' is an understatement," whispered Alfie to Jack. The front loader giggled quietly before speaking up.

"What do you want us to do, Trevor?" asked Jack.

"You, Alfie and Oliver can help with loading firewood into my trailer and Max and Monty," said Trevor. "They can help me in delivering the firewood."

"That ought to be no problem," grinned Max.

"Though we will need to have snow chains fitted in case we run into icy roads," added Trevor. The two dump trucks groaned.

"How can they make even the easiest job _boring_?!" complained Monty.

"Trevor's right, you two," said Jack. "It's not easy working in snow and ice if you're not careful."

"We're always careful," grumbled Max. Oliver rolled his eyes; he'd known the brutish dump trucks long enough to know that this wasn't the case.

* * *

Soon, Trevor, Max and Monty were out on the roads with the first delivery of firewood. Trevor was leading and going along at a slow, steady pace, much to the dump trucks' annoyance.

"Can you hurry things up, old man?" complained Max.

"Yeah, I don't want to be stuck behind his ugly dumper the whole way!" added Monty.

"Who you calling ugly?!" snapped Max. Trevor couldn't go very fast, but he tried not to mind the dump trucks' bickering. But eventually, Monty got so fed up that he raced ahead of his twin and Trevor!

"Hey! Wait for me!" called Max, chasing after Monty. Trevor was a bit startled as they raced past him.

"Be careful, you two!" he called, but they couldn't hear him. Up ahead was Bertie the bus, filled with passengers. He gasped with surprise as Max and Monty were racing towards him!

"Look out!" he shouted, honking his horn. The red bus swerved out of the way to avoid hitting them, running right into a snowbank!

"Road hogs!" Bertie shouted as Max and Monty sped on by. "Great, now we're stuck, and I'm going to be late!"

* * *

A little while later, Trevor was still chuffing down the road when he noticed a spot of red amongst the snow.

"That's Bertie," remarked Trevor. "What's he doing stuck in the snow?"

Bertie explained what had happened. "It's those silly dump trucks," he remarked. "They're always mucking about and causing trouble."

"Very sorry about Max and Monty," said Trevor. "But don't worry, Bertie; I'll get you free from this snowbank."

The traction engine was as good as his word; after he was unhitched from his trailer, a rope was attached between him and Bertie, and Trevor pulled as hard as he could. It wasn't easy at first, but when some of the passengers helped to loosen some of the snow, it was much easier, and at last, Bertie was free.

"Thank you, Trevor," called Bertie. "First mud, and now snow; who knows what you'll rescue me from next?"

"Glad to be of service again," replied Trevor. "Now I must go and keep an eye on those two dump trucks. Goodness knows what trouble they'll get into!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Max and Monty had just made their first deliveries and were now speeding back to the orchard to pick up their next load of firewood.

"Hey, Max!" called Monty. "Look at what I can do!" He then began to skid sideways on the ice-covered roads before doing a full 360.

"Think _that's_ impressive?" smirked Max. "Watch this!" He then began doing sliding zig-zags along the icy roads, spraying snow in either direction. A few people ended up being hit by the snow and shook their fists angrily as the dump trucks sped by, but they were having too much fun to care.

* * *

Soon, Max and Monty had returned to the orchard.

"You're back early," remarked Jack.

"Yeah, it'll take us three deliveries for every one that old coot makes," boasted Monty.

"And between the two of us, we carry double the amount!" added Max. "Now load us up, and be quick about it!"

Soon, Jack and Alfie were working to carefully - but quickly - loading the two dump trucks. No sooner had they finished when they raced away, just missing Trevor who had come back from making his first delivery of firewood.

"Sorry I'm late," panted Trevor. "Had to rescue Bertie from a snowdrift."

Jack, Alfie and Oliver glared at Max and Monty as they drove off. Neither of them knew about Bertie.

"Where are those two dump trucks?" Trevor wanted to know.

"You just missed them," sighed Alfie. "They've gone off to make another delivery."

"I'll have a word with them when they come back," said Oliver sternly. But he never got the chance to do so.

* * *

As Max and Monty drove along, the weather changed for the worst. Dark clouds loomed ahead, and snow was falling harder, making it difficult to see where they were going.

"Come on, Monty!" called Max. "We got to get this firewood delivered early!"

"I'm trying!" grunted his brother. But Monty was struggling in the snow.

"Try to dig and claw with your tires!" called Max. Unfortunately, he failed to notice that a lorry was was up ahead, and heading their way.

"Oi!" called the lorry driver. "Get out of my way, you road hogs!"

Max did so, but unfortunately, he found himself skidding along the icy roads; the poor visibility only made the situation worse.

"Ooooh-errr!" groaned Max. "Help! I can't stop!" By the time he'd managed to regain control, it was already too late. He couldn't stop himself from driving towards an icy pond. Max's weight caused the ice to break, and with a splash, he was now axle deep in frozen water.

"Brrr!" shivered Max. "That's cold!"

Monty had managed to catch up to his brother and was shocked at what had happened to Max.

"Don't worry, Max!" called Monty. "I'll go and get help." And he raced off to find Trevor.

* * *

By now, a blizzard was blowing strong, but Monty persevered until he made it back to the orchard.

"Monty!" exclaimed Jack.

"Where's Max?" asked Alfie. Monty explained what had happened.

"Serves him right," commented Oliver.

"Aw, come on, Oliver," protested Monty. "Max is in trouble and he'll be stuck all night if we don't help!"

"I don't think we can possibly help in this weather," said Trevor. "I'm afraid he'll have to wait until the storm clears up."

"Trevor is right," said Oliver. "Maybe this will teach you and Max to take better care in conditions such as this."

"I suppose you're right," sighed Monty. Deep down, he knew they were.

* * *

The blizzard grew worse as the night wore on. Jack, Alfie, Monty, Oliver and Trevor were glad to be safe and sound in the shed, but poor Max sat in the pond, frozen to the frames. Snow was coming down hard on him, and his nose had turned red from the cold weather.

"Wh-wh-why d-d-d-didn't I p-p-put my sn-sn-snow ch-chains on?" he shivered. "I-if I ever g-get out of th-this p-pond, I'm de-definitely p-putting on sn-snow ch-chains ev-every w-winter... ACHOO!" Max's sneeze shook off the snow that had landed on his nose. He stayed in the pond all night, cold and miserable.

* * *

The following morning, the storm had ended, and Butch the breakdown lorry had been sent to pull Max free from the pond whilst Trevor took Max's load of firewood away. Oliver, Monty and Miss Jenny were also there to see Max being rescued from the frozen pond.

"I'm so s-s-s-sorry, Miss J-J-J-Jenny," shivered Max. "I deserve whatever p-p-p-punishment you g-g-g-give me."

"Well, Max," said Miss Jenny, looking at the frozen dump truck, "Trevor and Oliver told me everything, and I would normally scold you and Monty for being careless. However," she went on, "I can see that you and Monty are sorry. And I'd say your predicament last night was enough of a punishment for both of you. So long as it doesn't happen again..."

"It won't," said the dump trucks. "We promise."

* * *

That night at the yards, Oliver told Jack and Alfie about Max and Monty.

"How long d'you reckon they'll keep their promise?" whispered Alfie.

"Knowing them, I'd say about a week," replied Jack. But to everyone's surprise, Max and Monty stopped messing around when it came to snowy weather, just in case, and were on their best behavior at least until spring came around. They don't think of snow as fun now!

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

This took a bit longer than I'd like, but finally, we're back with the rewrite to _Snow Tracks_, but based on the roads. In fact, throughout this story, there's not a single appearance from the railways at all! That being said, as the story progressed, it did feel a bit like a cross between _Deep Trouble_ and _Terence Breaks the Ice_, which was rather unintentional, I'll admit, but it still works for Max and Monty when it comes to taking care in snowy conditions. But knowing them, they'll be back to their old tricks after the story is over.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- **_A Blooming Mess_** \- Mavis, Arry and Bert

\- _**Steamy Sodor**_ \- Kevin

\- _**Pingy Pongy Pick Up**_ \- Emily

\- **_The Biggest Present of All_** \- Thomas, Hiro

\- **_Henry's Health and Safety_** \- Henry, Judy and Jerome, Rocky


	6. Stop and Smell the Roses

**STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES**

**Based upon "A Blooming Mess" by Miranda Larson**

Spring had returned to the Island of Sodor. Everywhere you could look, flowers were blooming and leaves on the trees were starting to grow once again. But at the quarry at the end of Thomas' branch line, Mavis was working harder than ever.

"Goodness, there's so many trucks to organize here," she said to herself. At that moment, she heard a northern-sounding whistle, a sound that very rarely came to the quarry.

"Oh, hello, Emily," said Mavis, surprised to see who turned up. "It's not very often you come down here." Emily gave a smile at the quarry diesel.

"Hi, Mavis. Well, since it is busy here, Sir Topham Hatt assigned me to come down to lend a buffer or two."

"That's great, Emily," said Mavis. "We could use extra help." She then caught sight of something. "Are those flowers in one of your trucks?"

"Oh yes," said Emily. "The stationmaster at Knapford had some leftover flowers from when they were redecorating, so I offered to take them away to someplace else, and I thought of the quarry."

"Oh, that's very kind of you, Emily," said Mavis. "It does brighten things up here."

"Not a problem," said Emily. "How have things been going up here, by the way?"

"Tiresome," sighed Mavis. "There's so much work to do here and it's too much for one engine like myself to handle."

"Maybe Rosie could help," Emily suggested. "She has been doing odd jobs since she got here."

"That would be nice," Mavis nodded. She liked the lavender tank engine quite a bit.

"I'll see if I can pass on the message to her and Sir Topham Hatt," said Emily. "I'll see you later, Mavis." After a toot and whistle goodbye, Emily was on her way.

* * *

Emily soon found Sir Topham Hatt at Knapford station.

"Good day, Emily," said Sir Topham Hatt. "How are you?"

"I've been doing fine today, sir," said Emily, "but have you heard about what's been happening with Mavis?" She then explained as to what was going on at the quarry.

"Oh my," Sir Topham Hatt gasped. "Mavis will need backup."

"I thought maybe Rosie could help," Emily suggested. Sir Topham Hatt sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Emily, but Rosie is helping Salty at the docks," he explained. "I'll have to see if there are any other engines available."

"Thank you anyway, sir," said Emily. She wondered who would be helping Mavis at the quarry now.

* * *

Later that day, Mavis was still working hard when she heard two horns.

"That doesn't sound like Daisy..." she said to herself. Mavis was shocked to see who it was.

"Arry and Bert!" she cried. Yes, it was the two diesels who resided at the Sodor Ironworks and friend to absolutely no one, not even devious Diesel himself.

"Yeah, it's us," said Arry. "'oo else would it be?"

"I was expecting Rosie to help out," said Mavis.

"T'at little pink puffball?" asked Bert.

"Actually, she's more a lavender-" Mavis corrected before Arry cut her off.

"She's wit' Salty."

"Oh, yes," sighed Mavis. "He would need help at the docks." The black quarry diesel was silent for a moment; she did need an extra set of buffers, and she would have to keep tight tabs on them to ensure her friends' safety.

"Arry and Bert, there's a lot of trucks to be organized," she spoke firmly. "You must help me get them in line." Arry and Bert just glared at Mavis and went to tend to the trucks.

"Since when did she take responsibility 'round 'ere?" asked Bert.

"Prob'ly spent too much time wit' t'at garden shed on wheels," growled Arry.

"You take that back right now!" snapped Mavis. "Toby is one of the most reliable engines on this island!"

"T'en why, pray tell, did ya mock 'im when ya first got 'ere?" asked Arry.

"You was playin' ''unt the truck' wit' 'im and callin' 'im a fusspot," added Bert.

"I was a younger diesel back then," insisted Mavis.

"An' let's no' ferget t'at tightrope incident," Arry smirked. "Toby may 'ave been scrapped if ya left 'im 'angin' there."

"Don't even _go_ there!" Mavis growled. Though she sounded angry, there was a tinge of fear in her voice.

"Oi think we may 'ave 'it a nerve," Bert chuckled to Arry.

"Do your work on the other side of the quarry!" Mavis snapped. "I don't want you here any longer than necessary!" She flounced away, trying to hold back tears.

* * *

Meanwhile, Emily was on her way to the quarry.

"I wonder how Mavis is doing," she said to herself. "If Rosie couldn't help, maybe Stanley is there."

Emily soon got to the quarry and was about to take the crossover into it when she crashed into some trucks at the entrance.

"Ouch!" she cried. "Who put them there?!"

"Someone should 'ave watched where t'ey were goin'," sneered Bert.

"Don't tell me you and Arry were sent here," groaned Emily. Mavis glared at Arry and Bert.

"I told you, no putting trucks near the entrance!" she snapped. "Now we have to get either Rocky or Judy and Jerome to clear things up!" Arry and Bert scampered back to the other end of the quarry without another word.

"Emily, are you okay?" asked Mavis, her usual sweet voice returning.

"Sort of," said Emily. "I didn't know this was going happen..."

"I've been trying to keep them in line, believe me," sighed Mavis. "But... no matter what I say, they don't listen. I guess, I'm not cut out for mentoring others."

"Don't say that!" remarked Emily. "You managed to keep Bill and Ben in order from what I heard. Only a lucky few engines can do that."

"Yes, I was only at their quarry for a while though," Mavis admitted. "When BoCo was sent on a long term loan to the Bluebell Railway and Edward needed help."

"I don't think I've seen BoCo too much," Emily admitted. "But from what I did see of him, he is one of the kindest engines on Sodor."

"He is indeed," agreed Mavis. "He hit it off as quickly with steam engines as Rusty did. To be honest, they and Toby became my biggest role models."

"They are good engines to follow in their example," said Emily. Just then, both engines heard a bell ring through the air.

"What on earth?!" Toby cried. "Mavis, Emily, what happened?"

"Arry and Bert," the two female engines sighed together.

"Let me guess, only engines available?" asked Henrietta.

"Yes," sighed Mavis, "but I wish they weren't. They've been very disrespectful of everyone, and..." She almost looked like she was going to cry. "...mocked my younger days here."

Toby and Emily exchanged a look. The former had been with Mavis right in the thick of her first couple of months on the island, while the latter had next to no knowledge of what Mavis used to be. But both could tell their friend was troubled.

"Mavis, what exactly did they say?" asked Emily.

"Well, it started when they made fun of Toby and I told them to take it back," Mavis began. "Then they started to mock me in my younger days, and the last straw was..." The young diesel winced at the memory. "T-the... tightrope incident."

Toby and Henrietta let out soft gasps at the memory (Henrietta wasn't there of course, but Toby let her know what had happened), but Emily was confused.

"It's a complicated story," Henrietta explained. "The short version, Mavis wanted to venture down the line, asked the trucks to bump her, they ended up bumping Toby instead and the bridge was out because of a flood."

"Yikes..." gasped Emily. "That sounds scary."

"It was," said Toby.

"For both of us," Mavis agreed, her breath going shallow. "I couldn't believe my foolish behavior did that... and Arry and Bert even said if I wasn't quick enough to put things right..." She couldn't finish it.

"Mavis, you _did_ manage to put things right in time," Toby said gently. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

"I know you are," sighed Mavis. "And I couldn't be more grateful for that."

"Don't let Arry and Bert's taunts get to you, Mavis," said Toby. "You've changed so much over the course of your time here. I'm proud of what you have become." Mavis felt happy tears prick her eyes now.

"Th-thank you, Toby," she whispered. "I wouldn't be who I am now if not for you."

By now, Percy had arrived with Judy and Jerome.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Percy with concern.

"I just got a few minor scratches," said Emily. "Toby, Henrietta and Mavis didn't get into the crash at all."

"That's not as severe as it sounded," remarked Judy.

"I guess not," chuckled Henrietta. It didn't take long to clear things up, and Mavis moved the unhurt trucks out of the way.

_For once, it's not even the trucks' fault,_ Mavis thought to herself. But little did anyone realize that trouble was once again brewing...

* * *

Arry was shunting a long line of trucks to the slate hopper, and Bert was shunting some full trucks to the sidings ready to be taken away.

"Uh, Arry, Bert, you might have wanted to take less of those," called Mavis.

"Ya wan'ed us to work, and we are," grunted Arry.

"Yeah, make up yer mind," added Bert. "Do ya want us to be on the sidin's doin' nothin' right now?"

"I'm just saying that you should probably take a few trucks at a time and not all at once," said Mavis.

"An' where's the use in usin' a few trucks at a time?" asked Bert.

"Because the sidings can be-"

_CRASH!_

"...awkward to get around..." she finished.

Because the ironworks diesels were not paying attention in what they were doing, they had now found themselves in a terrible mess. Bert's trucks had run into Arry and a few of his own, causing them to derail and some stones to fall out of Bert's trucks. Arry himself had landed hard on his side in the accident.

"Ya could've told us t'at before," muttered Arry.

"I could've," said Mavis, "but you spent too much time mocking other engines' past incidents and mistakes rather than asking me what to do!"

"Indeed you have," said the quarry manager. "I agreed to have you come here to help Mavis and hopefully learn some manners. But you have made things worse than the quarry has ever been!"

The ironworks diesels just felt hot with embarrassment at the manager's words. They knew they were in deep water.

* * *

Percy was just delivering Judy and Jerome back to the yards.

"Thanks, Percy," said Jerome.

"No problem," the little green engine replied. "Now I believe there's some flowers for some of the window boxes that need to be delivered."

But before Percy could get far, the yard manager came up to him.

"There's been an accident at Anopha Quarry," she said. "You'll have to bring Judy and Jerome to help."

"What?! But we were just there!" groaned Percy.

"We'd better get back to quarry regardless," sighed Jerome.

"Right..." muttered Percy. "When will Arry and Bert learn sense..."

"Need some help?" asked Rosie, puffing over to Percy and the cranes heading for the quarry.

"Yes, please," Percy agreed. "Arry and Bert are at it again..."

* * *

It wasn't long before the two tank engines made it to the quarry and began to clear up the mess. Mavis was pleased to see Rosie.

"Hey, Rosie," smiled Mavis. "How was your time at the docks?"

"It was good, thanks, Mavis," she replied. "Salty is a lot of fun to be around. Cranky was just... being himself. How have you been?"

"Arry and Bert were sent here," Mavis explained. "They didn't exactly know the meaning of 'help'." She and Rosie looked over to see Judy and Jerome lifting a battered Arry onto a flatbed. Percy was quite cross with the ironworks diesels, and wasn't afraid to speak his mind.

"No one treats my friends like that and gets away with it!" he snarled. "I bet Sir Topham Hatt will ban you from the quarry for a year at least!"

"After a potential overhaul that is," joked Judy.

"Maybe we won't see you again for two years," added Jerome.

"That serves them right," said Rosie. "Well, the workload at the docks has come to a more manageable level, so... maybe I could lend a buffer here?"

"I'd love that," smiled Mavis. "Especially since we'll have to make up for the delays Arry and Bert have caused."

"Great," grinned Rosie. "So what should we do first?"

"Well, some of the trucks need to be filled with slate to replace the ones that had gotten smashed in Arry and Bert's collision," said Mavis. "But only take a few trucks at a time because the siding arrangements can be awkward."

"Thanks for the tip, Mavis," said Rosie.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Mavis and Rosie worked happily alongside each other. Emily, Toby, Henrietta and Percy were glad to see Mavis back to her sweet and cheerful self once more.

And what about Arry and Bert? Well, Arry was on a lengthy overhaul at the Sodor Dieselworks leaving Bert to work the ironworks by himself. He was on constant watch by his crew, the ironworks manager and Sir Topham Hatt to make sure he and Arry wouldn't get into anymore trouble. I just hope they don't cause anymore trouble to anyone for a while - do you?

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

_A Blooming Mess_ is probably one of the few highlights out of seasons 13-16. Even though the presence of flowers didn't play a huge role in the rewrite, Emily does at least push the story forward as a reference to the original story. And throwing in Rosie into the mix was a nice little touch. Arry and Bert, meanwhile, seem to get very little to do these days, so I tried to remedy that by making them engines no other is willing to befriend, despite that they're more in line with their personas from season six onward, as well as a silly Cockney accent for them. However, they do dip into their personas from _Stepney Gets Lost_ when mentioning Toby potentially being scrapped had Mavis not rescued him in time, and it even implies that both he and Mavis (well, in shades at least) have PTSD from the incident, explaining his behavior in the likes of _Signals Crossed_.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- _**Steamy Sodor**_ \- Kevin

\- _**Pingy Pongy Pick Up**_ \- Emily

\- **_The Biggest Present of All_** \- Thomas, Hiro

\- **_Henry's Health and Safety_** \- Henry, Judy and Jerome, Rocky

\- **_Jitters and Japes_** \- Toby, Annie and Clarabel, Henrietta


	7. Kevin in Charge

**KEVIN IN CHARGE**

**Based upon "Steamy Sodor" by Sharon Miller**

The Steamworks is the main repair company for Sodor's railways. It is situated near Crovan's Gate, where both the North Western and Skarloey Railways meet. Victor is the main engine who lives and works there, finding, delivering or collecting engine parts and supervising activities around the area. He works closely with a young, well-meaning but clumsy road crane named Kevin, whose antics often drive Victor mad. But despite this, Victor is a wise, friendly engine who is always willing and ready to help his friends and refuses to put up with nonsense.

* * *

Early one morning, the manager of the Steamworks came to speak with Victor and Kevin.

"I have just gotten off the phone with Mr. Percival," she said. "One of his engines has had an accident, and requires your assistance."

"Who was it?" asked Kevin. "How'd that happen? Do they require the assistance of a helping hook?"

"Calm down, Kevin," said Victor, chuckling a little. "The manager hasn't provided the full details yet."

"Well, to answer your questions, Kevin," said the Steamworks manager, "it was Rheneas who had some trouble with the points outside of Skarloey station when trying to run around his train. Sir Handel's been sent to take over and we'll need Victor to help Rheneas out."

"How can Rheneas fit inside Skarloey?" asked Kevin, confused. "Isn't Rheneas the bigger engine of the two?"

"No, Kevin," laughed Victor. "The manager was referring to the top station of the line named for Skarloey, the engine. Skarloey is an ancient Sudric word that means 'lake in the woods'."

"Oh, I see. I think I understand that now," said Kevin. Then he asked hopefully, "Can I come as well?"

"I'm sorry, Kevin," said the Steamworks manager, shaking her head, "but I'm afraid this is a job for Victor only. He'll take the breakdown crane with him while we need you to make sure that things are organized around here."

"Oh," said Kevin, looking down at the ground with disappointment.

"I'll be back soon, Kevin," Victor promised as he set off. "Take good care of the Steamworks for me."

"Yes, boss," Kevin called as Victor puffed away. "I will, boss. Right," he said as soon as Victor was out of earshot. "Now where do I start?"

* * *

Kevin tried keeping himself busy by organizing some of the parts used around the Steamworks.

"Spare wheels, check. Piston valves in order, check. Whistles at their right pitches, double check…"

* * *

Before long, everything in the Steamworks was organized.

"Well, that's that done," said Kevin proudly. "Now what should I do now that I've finished organizing everything around here?"

But the young road crane couldn't think of anything to do. Perhaps this was going to be easier than he thought.

"Maybe I could take a little nap," Kevin suggested to himself. He was just about to close his eyes when he heard a whistle. Pulling in from the narrow gauge entrance was Peter Sam.

"Oh! Hello there, Peter Sam," said Kevin, rolling up to the Giesl-funneled engine. "What're you here for?"

"One of my wheels feels funny," explained Peter Sam. "I think it's a bit loose."

"Aha!" said Kevin excitedly. "You need a replacement wheel! I'll see if I can find one the correct size!" And he sped off to find some spare wheels.

"But I really just need it tightened…" Peter Sam insisted, but Kevin was too excited to listen. He was just glad to be helping someone out.

"Now let's see what we got," said Kevin, examining the wheels. "Those seem a bit too big for Peter Sam, and these ones are a bit too small…"

While Kevin was lost in his thoughts, Donald steamed in next. The black goods engine noticed the little road crane in the corner, looking over some spare wheels.

"Excuse me, Kevin," called Donald. "Dae ye hae a minute?"

"Oh, of course!" said Kevin, rolling away from the wheels and up to Donald. "What do you need, erm, Douglas?"

"Tis Donald," the Scottish goods engine corrected.

"Oh, sorry about that," said Kevin. "Still having problems telling you two apart."

"Na, it's a'richt," said Donald. "Bit anyway, Ah think there's somethin' wrong wi' mah whistle. It mist be clogged or somethin'."

As Donald and his twin Douglas both spoke with thick accents, Kevin had a bit of trouble trying to determine what he was requesting.

"Ah, I think I understand now," he said at last. "You've been sent for a repaint! I wonder if there's some leftover blue paint from when Gordon was last here…"

"Bit Ah don't need tae be repainted!" cried Donald indignantly. But Kevin was already away, trying to find some blue paint.

"He doesn't know what he's doing, does he?" asked Peter Sam to Donald.

"You're tellin' me," said Donald. "Where's Victor gaen aff tae then?"

"Helping Rheneas out after an accident," Peter Sam explained.

"Found some blue paint!" Kevin called, and he rolled up to Donald with an eager look on his face and a palette of paint cans hanging off of his hook. Unfortunately, in his excitement, Kevin had stopped too quickly, causing a bucket to spill blue paint all over Donald!

"KEVIN!" the goods engine shouted angrily.

"Oops… Sorry, Donald," said Kevin sheepishly. "Just a slip of the…"

"Hook," Donald groaned with a roll of his eyes. "Ah didn't need tae be repainted blue! Thare wasn't even anythin' wrong wi' mah black paint. Ah juist wantit tae hae mah whistle keeked ower!"

"Something wrong with your whistle, Donald?" asked Kevin. "Ah! Why didn't you say so? I'll just put this blue paint away then!"

As Kevin was doing so, taking care not to drop another bucket, Thomas pulled into the Steamworks with Annie and Clarabel. He was surprised to see Donald with blue paint all over him.

"Oh my, Donald," he teased. "Finally decided that black wasn't your color anymore? I did once say blue was a proper color for an engine."

"Don't ye stairt," snapped Donald.

"Hi, Thomas," Kevin called once he saw the blue tank engine. "What are you doing down here?"

"Annie and Clarabel need their seats to be re-fitted," Thomas explained. "I don't have any passenger runs for the rest of the day, so my next train is to take some goods to Brendam docks."

"Right," said Kevin. "Erm, leave them over on that siding." _I wanted some excitement_, he thought worriedly, _but I didn't think it was going to end up being this busy._

* * *

Thomas left Annie and Clarabel on their siding, and set off to find his goods train. Unfortunately, this left Kevin with _three_ jobs that needed to be done. He felt so overwhelmed with the demands that he began to muddle the orders up. He sent workmen to replace one of Donald's wheels, asked more to clean Annie and Clarabel, and even wanted to have Peter Sam's cab re-fitted.

"Um, er, r-right," said Kevin, feeling more anxious than ever, and holding a palette of assorted tools and spare parts. "I-if you could puff right this way, Peter Sam…"

"Bit whit aboot mah whistle?!" cried Donald, feeling more frustrated and annoyed.

"And our seats!" chorused Annie and Clarabel.

"One at a time, please!" Kevin insisted. "Besides, Peter Sam was here first!"

But then, things were about to get much worse. Victor was just coming into the Steamworks with Rheneas and the breakdown train in tow.

"What is going on here?" Victor demanded, witnessing the chaos.

"Ahh!" Kevin was so startled by Victor's sudden arrival that he spun around and fell on his side, with tools and spare engine parts flying in all directions. It made such a noise that the manager of the Steamworks hurried out of her office to see what the fuss was about.

"What in blazes is all this?" she demanded. "Kevin, what have you been doing?"

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," Kevin sighed shamefully. "I tried to look after the Steamworks while Victor was gone, but then so many repairs were needed, and I ended up getting things muddled." The poor little road crane almost looked as though he was about to cry.

"Now, now, Kevin," Victor comforted. "There's no need to feel so bad. Everybody gets overwhelmed every once in a while. I once felt the same way when I was first put to work here. But the best thing to do in a situation like this is to stay calm, and focus on the tasks at hand."

"Victor is right, Kevin," the manager agreed. "You finish the job you were tasked to do first before moving on to anymore. Now what say you two get this Steamworks straightened out?"

"That sounds like fun!" said Kevin, cheering up. "Only I'm… not on my wheels," he finished sheepishly.

"Don't worry, my friend," Victor smiled. "We'll have you back on your wheels in no time."

* * *

Victor was as good as his word. Kevin was soon uprighted once again, and the two set to work reorganizing the Steamworks. They tightened Peter Sam's wheel, cleaned Donald's whistle, and began work in refitting Annie and Clarabel's interiors. They even made sure that Rheneas didn't suffer too much damage from his derailment. Before long, the Steamworks was back in order, and the repaired engines set off back for work.

"Another day of repairs finished," sighed Victor.

"You said it," Kevin agreed. "And next time I'm left in charge, hopefully I don't get swamped again."

"And hopefully in future," Victor added, "you'll be more calm and patient in case you do _get_ swamped."

"I'll be more careful from now on," Kevin promised as he motored away to arrange some parts. But no sooner had Kevin taken off, he turned too quickly, and dropped some tools from his crate, blushing sheepishly. "Sorry, boss. Just a slip of the hook."

Victor rolled his eyes and chuckled quietly. Thankfully, after that, there were no more chaotic slip ups in the Steamworks. And every time Kevin was left in charge, he always kept a level head and focused on the jobs properly. Who knows? Maybe someday, Kevin could get an apprentice of his own to teach.

That would be something, wouldn't it?

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

At long last, Series 13-16 Redux continues with an adaptation of another highlight from that era, _Steamy Sodor_! Though there is some minor influence from _Kevin the Steamie_ with the little road crane himself looking after the Steamworks in Victor's absence. This is one of the few bottle episodes I've written thus far, taking place entirely at the Steamworks, and there's even a bit of a Railway Series nod. Not much else to comment on.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- _**Pingy Pongy Pick Up**_ \- Emily

\- **_The Biggest Present of All_** \- Thomas, Hiro

\- **_Henry's Health and Safety_** \- Henry, Judy and Jerome, Rocky

\- **_Jitters and Japes_** \- Toby, Annie and Clarabel, Henrietta

\- _**Being Percy**_ \- Daisy, Rosie


	8. Emily Does the Washing

**EMILY DOES THE WASHING**

**Based upon "Pingy Pongy Pick Up" by Miranda Larson**

As the spring season progressed across the Island of Sodor, so did interest in football season. As the engines set about their work, they could see children playing football in the fields, or see passengers wearing football scarves and holding flags to celebrate their favorite teams.

On Edward's branch line near Brendam, the local girl's school was preparing for a match against the Harwick team. Nancy Rushen, a close friend to the engines of the Skarloey Railway, would be serving as the team's coach.

"Alright, keep it up, girls!" she called to the team.

Edward and Emily had stopped at a signal near the field, and decided to watch the team practice.

"This year is going to mark their first ever football tournament," explained Edward. "The Harwick Hawks are one of the best teams from the northern part of Sodor, so the Brendam Blues have a high bar to try and match."

"I'll bet they do," remarked Emily. "But, if I may ask, Edward, why are they called the Brendam Blues?"

"I had something to do with it," Edward explained. "You see, one day, the team was on their way to a game when their bus swerved to avoid hitting a deer. But in doing so, they ended up teetering over the edge of a large hill. Thankfully, I was on the scene and helped pull them back to safety. Afterwards, they were so grateful, they decided to make me their mascot."

"Wow," remarked Emily. "It must be a big honor, being the mascot of a football team."

"It _is_ rather nice," Edward confessed. "But it's best not to let big moments like that go to your funnel. Look what it did to Gordon and James."

Emily couldn't help but laugh at that reminder.

* * *

The following morning, Sir Topham Hatt came to see Emily.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted her controller.

"Ah, morning, Emily," Sir Topham Hatt replied. "I've a small job for you today; Mrs. Kyndley has just made some new football uniforms for the Harwick Hawks and the Brendam Blues. I need you to pick them up from Elsbridge and then take them down to Brendam; Toby will come and deliver them from Hackenbeck."

"Yes, sir," said Emily.

"And while you're at it," Sir Topham Hatt continued, "you'll be picking up some football fans with Martha and Julian. The big game starts at three, so no dillydallying please!"

"Right away, sir," Emily promised, and she set off immediately.

* * *

Emily arrived at Elsbridge station with her coaches Martha and Julian in tow. Behind Julian was a vent van to carry the football uniforms. It wasn't long before Toby and Henrietta pulled into the station with Mrs. Kyndley on board.

"Hello, Toby and Henrietta," greeted Emily. "And you too, Mrs. Kyndley."

"Good morning to you, Emily," Mrs. Kyndley greeted. "I hope the teams love the new uniforms I've made for them." She first showed Emily and her crew a jersey for the Brendam Blues, cerulean with red stripes, and then one for the Harwick Hawks, lime green with yellow stripes.

"I hope so too, Mrs. Kyndley," smiled Emily. "Those uniforms look lovely."

"You've certainly outdone yourself working on them," agreed Toby.

Just then, they heard Gordon's whistle. The big engine was pulling in with his express, but he didn't look very well.

"What's wrong, Gordon?" asked Toby.

"All stuffed up in the smokebox, little Toby," the big blue engine groaned. "Must've taken a batch of bad coal this morning…" But before he could continue, Gordon let out a great sneeze, and a cloud of ashes shot right out of his funnel… all over Toby, Emily and Mrs. Kyndley… and the new football uniforms!

"Oh, Gordon!" Emily shouted in between her coughing. "Mind where you're blowing your ashes!"

"Sorry..." Gordon coughed.

"My beautiful football outfits!" Mrs. Kyndley cried. "They're filthy!" Gordon felt more embarrassed about the incident than ever.

"Do you think we'll have time to get them cleaned up again?" Emily asked her driver.

"The nearest launderette is at Maron," said the driver. "And it's only a few hours before the match starts."

"That should be more than enough time," said Emily. "We don't have much to lose!"

The dirty football outfits were loaded into Emily's van, and with a blow of her whistle, she quickly set off to Maron.

* * *

Along the way, Emily had to make a stop at Wellsworth station. A porter had flagged her down, and with her was a basket of dirty workmen's uniforms.

"Excuse me," the porter called to Emily, "but are you on your way to Maron?"

"Yes, I am," Emily confirmed. "Is anything the matter?"

"I need to get these workmen's uniforms to the launderette there," said the porter, "but my car just had to choose today to break down on me."

"Don't worry about it, ma'am," said Emily. "I'll get them there as fast as I can."

The porter loaded the workmen's uniforms into Emily's van. And with a wave of the green flag, Emily raced off again.

* * *

At last, Emily had pulled into Maron station. A man who worked for the launderette was waiting for her on the platform.

"Ah, Emily," he smiled. "Mrs. Kyndley mentioned that you were taking her new football uniforms to be cleaned. I was also expecting a delivery of dirty workmen's uniform's today."

"How long do you think it'll be to clean the football uniforms?" asked Emily.

"At least an hour or so."

"And for them to dry out?" Emily was already beginning to sound anxious, not looking forward to what the answer would be.

"Well, it could be anywhere between an hour and a day, I can't say for sure," the laundry man shrugged.

"A day?!" groaned Emily. "Oh, that dratted Gordon! He just _had_ to blow his ashes all over Mrs. Kyndley's brand new football kits!"

"Well, that does depend on the material the shirts are made from," the laundry man explained. "I'll let you know when they're ready."

"The football fans aren't going to enjoy this at all…" Emily murmured.

Suddenly, as if on cue, Edward steamed in.

"Hello, Emily," he greeted cheerfully. Then he noticed the emerald engine's anxious expression. "Whatever is the matter?"

Emily quickly explained the situation with the uniforms.

"So would you please deliver the football fans to the game for me?" she begged. "They may never get to see it otherwise!"

"Say no more," Edward smiled. "I'll take them to the game straight away."

"Thanks, Edward," Emily smiled with relief. "You're a lifesaver."

Soon, Edward was coupled up to Martha and Julian and quickly puffed off to pick up the football fans and take them to Brendam.

* * *

Sir Topham Hatt was most surprised to see Edward.

"Where is Emily?" he asked. But he soon understood once Edward explained about the dirty uniforms.

"I just hope she can get them to the teams before three," said Sir Topham Hatt. "So many people will be coming from all over the island and it would be a shame if the game were to be cancelled."

* * *

Meanwhile, the football uniforms had finally been washed and now came the time to hang them up to dry. But there was a problem…

"The line we hang the wet clothes on was snapped by some hooligans," explained the laundry man. "And our dryers are down for repairs. It will take even longer for these clothes to dry."

"Just what we need," groaned Emily. "And less than two hours before the game's due to start! What are we going to do now?"

Then, Emily looked all around the yards. There were some four-wheeled coaches and trucks standing around on the sidings, and slowly, an idea began to form in Emily's smokebox.

"What if we tied the clothes to those coaches and trucks?" she suggested. "Then as I push them down the line, the wind will dry them sooner. I've seen something like this happen before when beachgoers would tie their swimsuits to the coaches when it was time to go home."

"Now that's good thinking there, Emily," said her driver. "I think we may have rope lying around somewhere."

"And I'll see if we have some spare clothespins," added the laundry man.

Everyone quickly got to work; after Emily had shunted some trucks and coaches into place, her driver, firewoman and the laundry man set about hanging the football uniforms onto some rope and then securing them with clothespins. The trucks were not too happy about having clothing hanging off of their sides, but they only put up with it for the sake of making the football players happy.

* * *

At last, the unusual train was ready to go with Emily at the back and a brake coach at the front, with the guard promising to keep an eye out for any potential dangers on the line. This attracted the attention of several children who waved and shouted at Emily.

Thankfully, Emily arrived at the football fields at Brendam with barely minutes to spare.

"Just in time," she panted. She then noticed the school headmistress, Miss Iris Bealbus, standing on the platform with Nancy and the Brendam Blues. They were pleased to see Emily.

"Deciding to start your own mobile laundry business, Emily?" Nancy teased.

"Wasn't really my plan to start with," said Emily, "but I had to think quickly unless the game ended up cancelled."

"And thanks to your clever thinking, Emily," said Miss Bealbus, "the game can proceed as scheduled."

The uniforms were soon taken off of the coaches and trucks, and players from both teams soon got changed into their uniforms. All, that is, except for one of the Brendam Blues…

"This can't be right," she said, holding up a pair of workman's overalls. "I'm supposed to play football, not work on the railway!"

Emily and her crew were most surprised! "How did that happen?" asked Emily.

"One of the football uniforms must have gotten mixed up for one of the workmen's uniforms by mistake," her driver realized.

"So that would mean…" Emily began.

* * *

Back at Wellsworth station, there was a huge commotion filled to the brim with laughter. As it turns out, the lost football uniform found its way on one of the workmen, who was blushing in embarrassment.

"I knew I should have taken up tap dancing…" he grumbled.

"This will not do at all," sighed Sir Topham Hatt, one of the few people who was unamused about the situation. "I better let the stationmaster at Brendam know about the mix-up."

* * *

Later that night, Emily and the other engines were talking about what had happened.

"I just couldn't believe it when I heard about it," she was saying. "It looked as though everything was going fine and suddenly, they weren't! All because of a little mix-up in the laundry."

"Well, this isn't the first time an incident like that's taken place," said Edward. "I remember when Sir Topham Hatt once went to work wearing a pink shirt because of a pair of red socks being washed with it. His entire wardrobe ended up being filled with pink dress shirts and socks!" he added, trying to suppress his laughter. The other engines found the story rather amusing, except for James, who simply rolled his eyes.

"Oh, grow up," he snorted. "You wouldn't see _me_ going through a mix-up like that."

"What about an undercoat of pink then, James?" smirked Henry. "It's still basically a tint of red, you know…"

"Stop spouting noises coming from your lips," snapped James.

"But in all seriousness, how did the game go, Emily?" asked Henry, ignoring James' snarky remark. "Despite that poor girl with the workman's uniform."

"Oh, it went very well, Henry," said Emily. "The Brendam Blues won by just one goal."

"Maybe someday they should consider making you an honorary member," Edward suggested.

"I don't think I'd be that good at football," Emily grinned. "Maybe just a cheerleader would be fine."

"Just as long as you don't have to wear the players' outfits on your sides as pom-poms," Percy chuckled. "Wouldn't that look silly?"

Emily just grinned. "Well, sillier things have happened before."

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

Well, that was quick! No sooner have I finished up one rewrite when another pops up. I've added in a bit of Railway Series lore by bringing up the Brendam Girl's School and their headmistress Miss Bealbus. It's not something that affects the story, I just thought it'd make a nice little addition. Since _Emily Saves the World_ references the events of _Pingy Pongy Pick Up_, I figured I'd try my hand and redoing said episode in order to make better sense from a realism standpoint. I mean, clothes hanging off of Emily like that just seemed rather silly, and I even poke fun at that at the end of the story, and so I thought the football uniforms hanging off of the sides of trucks and coaches made better sense. Also, I've included elements of the annual story _The Wrong Shirt_ from 1996 which helped to further flesh out the story.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- **_The Biggest Present of All_** \- Thomas, Hiro

\- **_Henry's Health and Safety_** \- Henry, Judy and Jerome, Rocky

\- **_Jitters and Japes_** \- Toby, Annie and Clarabel, Henrietta

\- _**Being Percy**_ \- Daisy, Rosie

\- _**Victor Says Yes**_ \- Victor


	9. A Hiro's Return

**A HIRO'S RETURN**

**Based upon "The Biggest Present of All" by Sharon Miller**

Early one morning, Sir Topham Hatt had gathered some of his engines at Knapford yards. He had an important announcement to make.

"As you all might be aware," he said, "I have decided to have a search and rescue centre built east of Suddery."

"Why would we need a search and rescue centre when we have the fire brigade and hospitals?" asked James. "Sounds like a waste of money to me."

"From the rate our railway keeps running into confusion and delay," Edward retorted, "I'd say a search and rescue centre is a great idea."

"Especially if Thomas is the cause of all of this," added Percy cheekily. But before Thomas could retort, Sir Topham Hatt interrupted.

"That's enough out of you lot," he said. "Now, there will be extra work required for this search and rescue centre. To accommodate the construction, I'll have your schedules adjusted. And on top of that, I'm bringing an engine to assist."

"Who is it, sir?" asked Henry.

"Ah, I think you may remember, Henry," smiled Sir Topham Hatt, "that you lot helped in restoring him to his former glory."

Thomas gasped with excitement. "Is it Hiro, sir?! Coming back to help us?!"

"That he is."

The engines all whistled with delight. Seeing Hiro again would be such a treat. None was more excited than Thomas.

"Anyway," continued Sir Topham Hatt, "once the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre is completed, there will be a crew assigned there for all emergencies, whether they be on water, in the air, or on land…"

Thomas wasn't really listening to the rest of Sir Topham Hatt's announcement. All he could think about was the fact that Hiro, the very engine he rediscovered and helped to restore, would be returning to Sodor to assist with the construction of the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, and possibly for the summer rush as well.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Thomas was on one of his passenger runs with Annie and Clarabel.

"Hiro's been through so much being left on that siding for all these years," Thomas said. "Hopefully, this visit to help us will be a good way to cheer him up."

"Just as long as Spencer doesn't try to scrap him again," said Annie.

"How cruel could an engine be?" remarked Clarabel.

"Oh, come on, girls," Thomas reassured. "Spencer felt bad for what he did. Besides, Hiro and I forgave him."

"You _forgave_ him?!" the coaches spat in shock. Thomas was taken aback by Annie and Clarabel's reaction; this was not one he was expecting from them.

"What good would it have done to stay mad at someone like that?" Thomas asked. "Holding onto a grudge solves nothing. All it does is make a bad situation worse."

"Perhaps you're right," Annie admitted.

"Though we still don't like how far Spencer was willing to go," Clarabel added. "Why, what would we do if he had tried to hurt _you_ instead?"

"Well… you have a point there," Thomas admitted.

* * *

Once Thomas had finished with his passenger run, he left Annie and Clarabel in their shed, and set off for his next job.

"Oh, I just can't wait to see Hiro again," Thomas said to himself. "I wonder if his friends back in Japan were happy to see him again too."

Thomas' next job was to deliver some flatbeds of steel to the building site; after Suddery, he would then take a left and travel along the coastal track before finally arriving at his destination. Emily was at Wellsworth when Thomas arrived.

"Hi, Thomas," Emily greeted.

"Hi, Emily," Thomas replied. "Are you excited about Hiro's return too?"

"You bet," Emily stated. "Though I wish I had more time to help with the construction of the Search and Rescue Centre. Rosie's at the works, and I promised that I would help with some of her jobs."

"Why don't I give you a hand with some of it?" Thomas offered. "That way, you won't be too overworked."

"Thank you, Thomas," Emily smiled. "But won't _you_ end up overworked with your own deliveries to make?"

"No need to worry," assured Thomas. "I can manage. I've handled heavier loads before."

And so it was arranged with their crews. Thomas set off with Emily's trucks coupled to his own, leaving Emily free to make her way with her brake van in tow. Thomas was feeling very pleased with himself.

"It's a good thing that Edward's line is on a downward run to the building site," he said. "This will be an easy task for me."

* * *

Thomas had arrived at the construction site with his and Emily's trains in tow. He looked at his surroundings in amazement; he could hardly imagine what the Search and Rescue Centre would be like when it was finished. Just then, he noticed Harold the helicopter coming into landing inside the site of the main building.

"Hello, Harold!" Thomas called over. "What brings you here?"

"I've been relocated to live here," explained Harold. "This way I'll be called in for emergencies as well as help keep the others in line."

"Oh, I see," said Thomas, feeling slightly sad that Harold wouldn't be living at Dryaw Airfield anymore. Then something caught his mind. "What others?"

"Sir Topham Hatt is arranging for a crane to be permanently stationed here," explained Harold. "He also wishes for a pair of fire engines on hand. This way, Sodor can be protected on land and air."

"_And_ sea!" came a new voice. Thomas looked around, and then, to his right, he saw a yellow, blue and red lifeboat with white lining bobbing in the water.

"Name's Captain," the lifeboat said proudly. "And you are…?"

"Oh! My name's Thomas," the blue tank engine greeted. "It's nice to meet you, Captain."

"And don't forget about me!" came another voice. Thomas then looked over and saw Butch the breakdown vehicle roll up.

"Butch!" Thomas cried. "Long time no see! So you've been promoted to the Search and Rescue Centre too?"

"Got that right, Thomas," said Butch proudly. "Being part of a team makes me feel rather special, but helping out others is an even greater feeling."

Thomas could only agree.

* * *

On his way back from the building site, Thomas couldn't help but think about what Butch said, and about Hiro.

"Helping others out can really make you feel good about yourself," he mused. "And helping out a friend like Hiro from scrap made me feel great." Suddenly, he had a thought. "If I keep helping out engines who need assistance, perhaps I can be a search and rescue engine too!"

* * *

The following morning, Thomas woke up early and set off to collect Annie and Clarabel.

"Come along, come along," he sang. "We're getting an early start so we can see if anyone needs our help along the way."

"Needs our help?" asked Annie.

"What are you up to this time?" Clarabel pondered. Thomas explained to his coaches about his talk with Butch.

"So if I can keep doing a good job at helping others," he finished, "then maybe I can be a search and rescue engine too. But where would I be without my faithful coaches to assist if there are stranded passengers?"

"I suppose you do have a point," Annie said.

"Search and rescue coaches would be rather fun," added Clarabel. They were just approaching the junction when a signalman flagged them down.

"Daisy's broken down near Dryaw," he explained. "Percy's taking her to the works, but could you pick up her passengers for her?"

"Of course we can," smiled Thomas. "Come on, Annie and Clarabel; we've got passengers to help out!" And he hurried away.

* * *

Thomas pulled into Dryaw station just as Percy was setting out with Daisy.

"Ohh, mind my springs," Daisy whimpered dramatically.

"Whatever you say, Daisy," said Percy, rolling his eyes. He was quite used to Daisy's drama queen moments.

"There's no need to fear!" Thomas called to her passengers. "Thomas the rescue engine is here!"

"Has he lost his marbles again?" Daisy whispered.

"No idea," said Percy. "But he does seem eager to help them out."

"_Too_ eager, if you ask me," muttered Daisy.

"But… why would he end up losing a bunch of little round balls?" asked Percy. Daisy didn't answer; she just rolled her eyes.

* * *

Soon, Annie and Clarabel were packed to the brim with passengers, both Thomas' and Daisy's.

"I feel like I'm about to burst," groaned Annie.

"One more and I think one of my windows will shatter," agreed Clarabel. Thomas could feel some of the strain, but he kept going.

"No one said helping others would always be easy," he puffed. "But we have to keep going."

* * *

Before long, the passengers had reached their destinations, much to the coaches' relief.

"Thank goodness for that," sighed Annie.

"I just hope we don't make another trip to the Steamworks so soon after this," added Clarabel. "We've only just had our seats re-fitted!"

"But think of how useful we are helping others," Thomas insisted.

"Don't you think you're starting to go a bit overboard on this, Thomas?" asked Annie.

"Nonsense!" chuckled Thomas. "No one ever goes overboard when helping others." Before Annie and Clarabel could object, Thomas left them in their shed, and puffed away for his next job.

"He's asking for trouble, isn't he?" asked Clarabel.

"Sadly so," Annie confirmed.

* * *

Thomas' next job was to help deliver trucks of stone for the foundations at the building site. When he arrived at Anopha Quarry, he could see that Mavis had indeed organized quite a lot of trucks.

"There you are, Thomas," Mavis greeted. "You're the first one to arrive. Once you set off with your load, I just need to wait for Duck and Oliver to arrive and collect their shares."

"Why don't I take this whole lot myself?" Thomas offered. "That way, Oliver and Duck will have more free time for their other jobs."

"Are you crazy, Thomas?" Mavis gasped. "I get that you want to help, but you can't haul all this by yourself. You'll need at least one big engine to help you."

"I've handled heavy trains on my own before," Thomas insisted. "I can manage, thank you."

"Maybe you should try listening for once," Thomas's driver protested. "Don't you remember what happened when you tried pulling the circus train alone despite the others offering to help? It ended up with you breaking your side rods from the strain."

"This time is different," Thomas insisted. "Stone is not as heavy as metal circus equipment. I'll be fine."

Reluctantly, the driver and fireman allowed Thomas to collect as many trucks of stone as he could. It wasn't long before Thomas had a very long train behind him.

"Off we go!" he cried, and he gave a great heave. _Maybe this was a bit more difficult than I imagined,_ he thought to himself. But after a great effort, Thomas managed to get his train moving and off down the branch line.

"This is not going to end well," said Mavis to herself. And she was right...

* * *

Thomas slowly dragged his train of stone down the line. It seemed that the farther he got, the heavier the trucks became. And when they reached Gordon's hill, the strain got even worse.

"Come on!" he groaned. "Come… on! I've got to get them to the building site!"

He tried his hardest, but it was no good. The weight of the train was too much for Thomas, and slowed him down to a complete stop halfway up the hill. Realizing he was defeated, he reversed back to the bottom of the hill.

"Oh no!" cried Thomas with disappointment. "Now what am I going to do?" The answer to his problem came sooner than he anticipated.

At that moment, Thomas heard two short blasts of a whistle, followed up by a longer one. He already knew whose whistle that was…

"It's Hiro!" Yes, pulling up alongside Thomas was the Master of the Railway himself.

"Thomas, my friend!" said Hiro happily. "_Konnichiwa!_"

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now, Hiro," said Thomas.

"Why are you trying to pull so many trucks by yourself?" Hiro asked once he looked at Thomas' train. The little blue tank engine sighed and looked down sheepishly at his buffers.

"When I heard that you were returning to help us with the construction of the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre," he said, "I wanted to show to you that I could be strong like you by helping other engines out. But now it looks like _I'm_ the one who needs helping out. Can you please help me deliver all this stone to the building site?"

"Of course I will help you," Hiro smiled. "That's what friends do for each other."

Thomas was soon uncoupled from the train so Hiro could take over, and then the Japanese engine pulled the stone trucks over Gordon's hill without problem.

* * *

Later, Hiro had arrived at the building site with the long train of stone trucks. Sir Topham Hatt was waiting for him.

"Thank you for delivering these, Hiro," said Sir Topham Hatt. "But what happened to the other engines I arranged to do this job?"

"Apparently, Thomas tried to do it all by himself," Hiro explained. "But then he needed my help to take over."

"I see…" said Sir Topham Hatt. "I'll need to have a word with Thomas later."

* * *

When Thomas finally arrived at the building site, he saw Sir Topham Hatt waiting for him.

"I've heard that recently," he stated, "you have been trying to do more work than you are capable of. Hiro told me how you tried to pull all of that stone by yourself when the loads were supposed to be split between you, Duck and Oliver. Care to explain yourself, Thomas?"

"I'm sorry, sir," said Thomas. "I was so excited about Hiro coming back that I wanted to show I was strong like him and be a search and rescue engine. I was just trying to help other engines so they wouldn't have to struggle on their jobs."

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to help someone in need," Sir Topham Hatt insisted. "However, when you go overboard in doing so, sometimes it causes more harm than good."

"I guess so…" Thomas sighed.

"I hope someday you can _learn_ from your mistakes, Thomas," Sir Topham Hatt continued.

"Yes, sir," said Thomas, a little disappointed.

Thankfully, the rest of the Search and Rescue Centre's construction continued on without any further complications. Well, except for one little incident involving a certain diesel, but that's another story.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

And so we've reached the last of the series 13 rewrites. This one is based upon _The Biggest Present of All_, the one in which Hiro made a (not-so-)grand return to Sodor, and seemingly stayed there until _Kenji on the Rails Again_. For my headcanon, Hiro returned to Japan shortly after the events of _The Great Race_ and is still running there to this day on heritage services under the eye of Sir Takaboushi Hideki. Between series 13-20, he was on a long-term loan helping out the engines of Sodor. Other than that, this story also incorporates some elements of _Misty Island Rescue_ (which never took place in this universe) as well as having Thomas' fanboy-like character carried over from _Helping Hiro_ (which is likely to receive a rewrite at some point down the road) which helped to flesh out the story better. This will probably be the only story for Series 13-16 Redux in which Thomas plays the lead role in a story, given how many he got in the actual series 13-16, whether or not he actually deserved them. Soon, we'll be reaching the series 14-15 portion of this redux, so keep an eye out for them.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- **_Henry's Health and Safety_** \- Henry, Judy and Jerome, Rocky

\- **_Jitters and Japes_** \- Toby, Annie and Clarabel, Henrietta

\- _**Being Percy**_ \- Daisy, Rosie

\- _**Victor Says Yes**_ \- Victor

\- _**Surprise, Surprise**_ \- Oliver, Toad and Captain


	10. No Crane, No Gain

**NO CRANE, NO GAIN**

**Based upon "Misty Island Rescue" and "Henry's Health and Safety" by Sharon Miller**

Diesel was grumbling as he bustled about the yards, bumping the trucks, causing them to complain loudly.

"Ow! Ow! Ohh!" they complained. "Watch it, you smelly black box on wheels!"

"Oh, keep quiet, you!" snapped Diesel, and bumped them again. "It's not fair! Why should Henry get to be the one that gets to take lumber for the new search and rescue centre? I could do that job just as well, probably even better!"

James was nearby, waiting for Charlie to bring his trucks for him. The red engine was tired of hearing Diesel's complaining.

"Aww, why can't you quit your complaining, Diesel?" groaned James.

"Can I help it if I'm bored or something?" oiled Diesel. "Besides, I-"

"If you're going to say you should be the one to take lumber for the new Search and Rescue Centre," James interrupted, "I'll tell you why you weren't given the job; it's because you're reckless and have a history of causing trouble."

But before Diesel could come up with a reply, Charlie had come up with James' trucks behind him.

"There you go, James!" he called to the red tender engine. "Care to hear a joke before you set off?"

"No, thank you!" retorted James, before puffing away with his goods train. Charlie groaned with disappointment.

"Grrr… That James!" fumed Diesel. "How dare he say I'm reckless?! I can be just as careful as the next steam engine! Probably even more careful!"

"Are you sure about that?" quizzed Charlie.

"Yeah! I know it!" yelled Diesel almost immediately. "I'll show you all; just you wait and see!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Henry had arrived at the building site for the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre with Judy and Jerome in tow. The two cranes have been a part of the North Western Railway since its early days, but as of late, they were feeling their age, which was why Sir Topham Hatt had purchased Rocky to supplement them and Harvey in case of emergencies a few years ago.

"Boy, I sure am glad Sir Topham Hatt purchased Rocky a while back," said Henry innocently. "While no offense to Jerome and Judy, they were kind of getting worn out."

In the nearby siding, Judy and Jerome overheard Henry's remark and were most offended.

"Us?! Worn out?!" exclaimed Judy indignantly.

"We're still just as sprightly as a newly-built engine!" agreed Jerome.

"I know," insisted Henry, "but I'm just trying to point something out."

Before too long, Sir Topham Hatt arrived.

"Good afternoon, sir," Henry greeted. "What brings you here to the site?" Before Sir Topham Hatt could answer…

"Sir, Henry called us worn out!" complained Jerome.

"Now, now, I'm sure Henry didn't mean it in a negative way," chuckled Sir Topham Hatt. "After all, you and Judy both have been on this railway for many, many years."

"But we're still as useful as we always were!" protested Judy.

"You are, but even you both have your limits. Rocky, meanwhile, can take care of rescues and clean ups that are too much for you to handle."

"Too much for us to handle?!" the two cranes objected together.

"Whatever happened to 'two cranes are better than one'?" asked Jerome. Sir Topham Hatt sighed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Diesel was still sulking from earlier on.

"What can I do to prove myself?" he asked himself, before remembering something. "Wait a second…" Diesel started remembering something about lumber, and how Henry was chosen to take some to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre. An idea began to form in his head.

"If I take the lumber to the building site instead of that Henry," Diesel grinned deviously to himself, "maybe everyone will see how useful I really am!" With that being said, Diesel snickered away.

* * *

At the lumber yard, a train of wagons containing the lumber for the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre awaited in the siding, and the owner of the mill was waiting for Henry to arrive. Soon, he heard a diesel horn.

"Wait, wasn't Henry supposed to arrive here?" he asked himself, before approaching the arriving Diesel. "What are you doing here, Diesel? I thought Henry was supposed to come and collect the lumber?"

Diesel quickly came up with the first excuse off the top of his radiator.

"Henry, er, had a bit of a derailment near a bridge," he fibbed. "I was quickly called in to help."

The mill owner glared for a few seconds, making Diesel think that his little trick was going to backfire. Fortunately, the mill owner nodded.

"I see. In that case, make haste to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, since they are waiting for the lumber shipment."

Diesel sighed with relief and was coupled up to the lumber wagons; he was in such a rush that he didn't think about coupling the train up to a brake van.

"Now I'll show James and the other engines that I can be careful!" purred Diesel with determination, before oiling away, pushing the lumber wagons.

* * *

Later, Henry was making his way to the lumber yard when he suddenly stopped at a red signal.

"That's strange," he said with surprise. "I should have a clear run to the lumber yard." What Henry saw next took him by surprise. There was Diesel, pushing a long train of lumber wagons in front of him, and with no brake van in sight!

"Diesel?!" exclaimed Henry. "What is he doing?"

"Look at me! Look at me! I'm being careful!" laughed Diesel. Soon, he was out of sight.

* * *

The mill owner was surprised to see Henry.

"But Diesel said that you had derailed at a bridge," he observed.

"Clearly not," said Henry crossly. "That Diesel must have lied to try and steal my job from me! I'd better get a crane in case something goes wrong."

* * *

Henry soon found Rocky being taken back to the yards by Donald. They had just helped James out after a few of his trucks had derailed on a sharp bend.

"Lousy trucks," grumbled James. "Why did they have to derail?"

"Tis a' th' same wi' thaim, Jeumas," said Donald. "Thay wouldn't hae derailed oan mines or Douglas' watch."

James pouted in response; he was going to be late now, and Sir Topham Hatt would not be pleased about that.

"Excuse me," said Henry, "but are you just finishing up, Rocky?"

"In a jiffy, Henry," replied Rocky. "Is something the matter?"

"Not yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be…"

* * *

Somewhere down the line, Diesel was enjoying himself.

"Nearly there to the building site!" he chuckled to himself. "Nothing can go wrong for me, now!"

But Diesel had spoken too soon. Yes, he was close to the building site, but he was on the track that was heading towards a half completed bridge instead.

"Huh?" Diesel's driver looked out the window and saw the danger ahead. "Uh-oh! We have to stop!"

Diesel's brakes went on, but it wasn't enough to stop the momentum of the trucks from dragging him closer and closer to the unfinished bridge! One by one, they began to fall off the bridge, their couplings breaking as they did so.

"Grease and oil!" panicked Diesel. "The lumber!"

With every wagon's length closer to the edge, Diesel regretted his trick more and more. Just when he thought he would be sleeping with the fishes…

"That whistle… Is that Henry?" Diesel asked himself. Yes, there was Henry coming to the rescue, pushing Rocky with him.

"It is Henry! Oh, thank goodness, I'm saved!"

"Diesel! What in the world do you think you're doing?" demanded Henry.

"I'd say I'm hanging around," deadpanned Diesel, "but that wouldn't be appropriate in the face of myself in grave danger!"

Soon, the rescue was underway. Rocky's hook was attached to Diesel's coupling, and the big red crane pulled hard, saving Diesel and his driver from the edge just in time. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save the last lumber wagon, which fell into the sea below.

"Thank you, Henry," gasped Diesel with relief. "And thank you, Rocky."

"Anytime," smiled Rocky.

"What possessed you to do something like this?" asked Henry, having calmed down slightly.

Diesel felt sorry for what he did, but before he could say anything James puffed up. In his cab was Sir Topham Hatt.

"What on earth has happened here?" he boomed. "I want an explanation, now!"

* * *

Later that evening, Henry, James, Rocky and Diesel were gathered in the yards. Sir Topham Hatt was not pleased with the black engine's actions.

"Diesel, what were you thinking?" said Sir Topham Hatt crossly. "It will be another week before more lumber is ready for delivery. This could potentially hold the opening ceremony back a few days!"

"I'm sorry, sir," apologized Diesel. "I was only trying to prove myself."

"Prove yourself?" Sir Topham Hatt repeated. "Prove yourself in what?"

"He's very much proven himself to be reckless today," smirked James.

"That's enough, James," scolded Sir Topham Hatt firmly, and the red engine quickly became quiet. "Now, please continue, Diesel."

"You see, James told me that I wasn't able to take the lumber delivery because I was always reckless," explained Diesel. "I wanted to prove that I could take a train without being that."

"I see," said Sir Topham Hatt.

"But," continued Diesel, "I ended up lying to the manager of that lumber yard that Henry got into an accident and that I was picked to fill in. Unfortunately, I didn't take the consideration of adding a brake van to the train before departing."

"Oh, Diesel…" sighed Sir Topham Hatt, shaking his head in disappointment.

"What I did was wrong," admitted Diesel. "Now I see why other engines think I am reckless."

"Yes, I know," agreed Sir Topham Hatt. "I'm not happy at all with your actions, Diesel. However, you have admitted to your mistake, and for that I'm pleased."

Despite Sir Topham Hatt saying he was not happy with him, his assurance on how he was pleased that Diesel truthfully admitted his mistake made him feel a little better.

"So, when the new shipment of lumber is ready, who will deliver it, sir?" asked James. "Because, you know, I believe I-"

"Sorry, James, but Henry will still be the one doing it," Sir Topham Hatt interrupted, staring sternly at the red engine. "After all, I need an engine who's careful and patient. You, James, need to learn to not be reckless with trucks too."

James was aghast!

"He's right," joked Rocky. "You did derail your trucks at that bend."

"And you called Diesel reckless," added Henry. "You're not one to talk, you know, James."

James groaned. "Why me?" he whined. "Why is it always me?"

Everyone, even Sir Topham Hatt, shared a laugh.

"Anyway," said Sir Topham Hatt, turning to Rocky, "you've done good work in performing rescues for the railway for the past few years. How would you like to be a part of the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre when it's completed?"

Rocky was delighted. "Sir, it would be an honor!"

Nearby, Judy and Jerome had heard about Rocky's promotion and felt devastated.

"Why not us?" Judy asked Jerome.

"We're still useful!" added Jerome enviously. "But how can we show it to Sir Topham Hatt?"

* * *

The next few days went by without further incident. Then one day, Henry arrived back at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre.

"Henry! What's going on?" called Jerome.

"There's been an accident at the junction, and Rocky is needed to clean up the mess," said Henry urgently.

This was the moment Judy and Jerome had been waiting for; it was a chance for them to prove they could be as effective as Rocky was.

"You can take us, Henry!" suggested Judy.

"Are you sure this is a smart idea?" asked Henry.

"Judy and I are cranes, too!" insisted Jerome. "We can handle the work ahead."

"Well, if you're sure," said Henry, and was coupled up to them. Unfortunately for Judy and Jerome, they had not had maintenance done on them for a long time, which meant that a lot of their old parts were in need of replacement. But the two cranes were so excited and determined that they had forgotten about this detail.

* * *

Near the junction, a spillage of steel laid upon the tracks. Douglas had taken charge of the train, but the loads hadn't been tied down properly, and when the Scottish engine rounded the bend a bit too fast, the steel had fallen all over the tracks. Some of the engines were left unable to proceed until the mess was cleared up.

"Oh dear," said Stanley.

"I hope the mess gets cleared soon," put in Rosie.

"Sae dae Ah," said Douglas. "Ah'm sae sorry this hud tae happen, lads."

It wasn't long before Henry, Judy and Jerome had arrived at the scene. Henry looked at the steel that had spilled all over the tracks, and then back to the two cranes with a concerned expression.

"Are you two sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"Are trees green?" asked Judy.

"Well, so is his paint," Jerome pointed out.

"I'll take it as a yes then," sighed Henry. Judy managed to grab hold of some steel pipes, carefully lifting it up.

"H-Hey!" she cheered. "I'm lifting it! I knew I was as strong as Rocky!"

Then there was a creaking sound.

"Um, Judy?" said Jerome. "I think I heard something from your arm."

"I didn't hear anything," replied Judy. "Now, I'll just-"

There was a sudden, loud snapping noise, and the pipes landed on one of Douglas' flatbeds, almost breaking it in half.

"Oh no! What's happened to me?!" cried Judy.

"One of your cables has broken," remarked her operator, "and now you can't lift anything."

Judy was dismayed, but Jerome was still able to work. This time, he was lifting some steel beams and was just loading them onto another flatbed when…

"Oh!" groaned Jerome. "I feel something cracking!"

Suddenly, something flew off of Jerome and hit Stanley on his saddle tank, leaving some scratches behind. Jerome, meanwhile, ended up dropping his load of steel beams onto the tracks once more.

"Oh my! Are you okay, Stanley?" asked Rosie, concerned.

"I've come back from worse," the silver tank engine sighed. "But now look at the mess!"

Judy and Jerome both looked broken.

"What happened to you two?" wondered Henry. "I thought you said you could handle the work?"

"We did," said Judy, "but I didn't think about our maintenance."

"Nor did I," agreed Jerome. "Now look at us; doomed for scrap."

Fortunately, Hiro puffed into the area with Rocky in tow.

"Greetings, my friends," smiled Hiro. He then saw the mess on the tracks. "Oh dear! Look at this mess… Well, it's a good thing I brought Rocky along."

Sir Topham Hatt was in the Japanese engine's cab; first he looked at Judy and Jerome, and then the mess caused by them trying to clear it up.

"Judy and Jerome!" he said sternly. "What's happened to you two?"

"We were only trying to prove that we could be rescue cranes like Rocky here," Judy explained sadly.

"But we'd forgotten that we hadn't been maintained for a long time," added Jerome.

"We're just as good as scrap," they said together.

"Oh, I don't think so," chuckled Sir Topham Hatt, his expression softening a bit. "But you'll need to go to the Steamworks to have your worn parts replaced. Hopefully it will allow the both of you to work as well as Rocky, and hopefully you'll understand your limits in the near future."

"Yes, sir," the two breakdown cranes agreed at once.

It wasn't long before Rocky had cleared away the mess. Because one of Douglas' flatbeds had been damaged when Judy dropped pipes on it, it was put on the "out of use" sidings. Douglas had to go and find a replacement flatbed which caused him to run further late. Fortunately, no one was cross with him when the news on what exactly happened broke.

* * *

Later at the Steamworks, Judy and Jerome were being mended by the workmen. Victor was surprised at how many of their old parts needed to be replaced.

"I wouldn't be worried, my friends," reassured Victor. "We'll have you two working again before you know it."

"But with how many of our old parts that'll need replacing," sighed Judy, "will we even be the same cranes we were when we first came here?"

"A part of me doubts it," complained Jerome. "We might as well be Grandfather Hatt's Brooms!"

* * *

A few days later, their opinions were soon changed after the repairs were completed.

"Hey, Jerome," said Judy. "I think I'm stronger than ever before."

"S-Same here, Judy!" Jerome added. "But how can we be so sure of it?"

It was then Henry arrived to collect the two breakdown cranes.

"Hello, you two," he greeted as he was coupled up. "Ready to go?"

"Is there a rescue that requires our help?" asked Jerome hopefully.

Henry didn't answer; he just smiled.

"What's with the smile on his face?" wondered Judy.

* * *

The two cranes' answer came when they arrived at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre. It was nearly complete, despite Diesel's earlier mishap with the lumber, but there laid a small mess on the tracks.

"The new Sodor Search and Rescue Centre is almost complete," said Henry. "However, the workmen hit a snag when James accidentally derailed his trucks again. We were hoping for you two to clear it up."

"U-Us?" gasped Jerome. "But what about Rocky?"

"He's currently at a rescue operation. So, what do you say?"

Judy and Jerome looked to each other, then the derailed trucks, and smiled.

"You can count on us!" they both said together, and they set to work in clearing away James' trucks and their spilled contents.

"We did it!" cheered Judy.

"That we did!" agreed Jerome. The workmen all cheered and clapped. The two cranes now felt certain that they still had a place on the railway, though it would be a few years before they achieved their dream as rescue cranes… but that's a story you already know, don't you?

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

The Judy and Jerome saga continues with a rewrite of _Henry's Health and Safety_, with a bit of _Misty Island Rescue_ in the first half. I wasn't originally going to, but as the story developed, it really seemed to work as Rocky helping Diesel out of his mishap would give Judy and Jerome further motivation in wanting to prove they can be rescue cranes as well. Writing the pair as those going through some sort of mid-life crisis was a fair bit of fun, as well as the reality check they were given for overestimating their own abilities. Henry's role as the only sane engine in this scenario really rounded things out to make, what I think, one of the more entertaining stories of this redux. But this little story arc is far from over, as it'll be carried over in small doses for the next few stories. And yes, the ending narrative hinted at what happens in _The Missing Breakdown Train_.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- **_Jitters and Japes_** \- Toby, Annie and Clarabel, Henrietta

\- _**Being Percy**_ \- Daisy, Rosie

\- _**Victor Says Yes**_ \- Victor

\- _**Surprise, Surprise**_ \- Oliver, Toad and Captain

\- _**Thomas' Crazy Day**_ \- Donald, Douglas and Paxton


	11. A Busy Day for Toby

**A BUSY DAY FOR TOBY**

**Based upon "Jitters and Japes" by Sharon Miller**

There was a lot of work going on when it came to the construction of the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, and sometimes, engines had to be pulled away from their regular duties. Thomas would often find himself helping out with bringing materials to the building site instead of working on his branch line, meaning Percy, Toby and sometimes Mavis would have to pick up the slack. It wasn't long before Mavis found herself working more often away from the quarry due to Daisy and Rosie needing repairs.

"I can't even tell you how many passengers we had to take today," Percy was saying to Toby one evening. "No sooner do we arrive at one end of the branch line, we depart with fresh passengers wanting to go to the other end! Poor Annie and Clarabel were rushed off of her wheels!"

"That will be a problem," Toby sighed. "Is Bertie available to help with extra passengers?"

"He does what he can," said Percy. "But then he's also got other duties to attend to as well. Things have been hectic since Daisy broke down."

Toby was deep in thought for a moment. He had handled Annie and Clarabel before. Sometimes, he took them with Henrietta, and the three coaches got along very well.

"I could take Henrietta with Annie and Clarabel," Toby suggested. "She can handle some of their passengers if need be."

"Well, I guess that could work," Percy considered. "It's not the first time you've taken the three coaches together. Just as long as the workmen get to the quarry on time too."

The two engines made the arrangements with their drivers and firemen, who agreed to this change.

* * *

Toby gently backed down onto the three coaches.

"Oh, hello, Toby," Annie greeted, a bit surprised. "Taking us all out at once?"

"Indeed I am," the tram engine smiled.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," said Clarabel. "Not often we're all part of the same train at the same time. Then again, I'm sure Thomas won't mind."

"Well, he can't exactly take you two out right now," Henrietta chuckled. "This will be a fun outing."

* * *

Henrietta was right. The quartet were having a wonderful day. The passengers were behaving very well, and the coaches were humming little songs as they went along the line. When the four of them got down to Dryaw, Toby looked a bit sad at the empty helicopter landing spot.

"It's not the same without Harold here…" he trailed. He remembered all those years ago when Percy first met the helicopter and had a race with him down to the harbor.

"I'm sure he's happy down where the rescue centre is," said Clarabel. "Maybe he'll come down here sometimes to get refueled or something."

"Or maybe when there's a patrol he has to do near the branch line," Annie added.

"Good points, girls," Henrietta put in. "It's not like Harold's decided to move off Sodor."

"There is that," said Toby, cheering up. "We'll still see him; he's just been relocated to another place."

The guard's whistle blew and Toby was off once more. He was making good time and had to meet Mavis at the quarry soon.

* * *

Down at Ffarquhar quarry, however, Mavis was very tired and nearly over her limits with the shunting.

"Hoo dear…" she panted. "So many trucks, so little time… At least I got Toby's delivery ready for when he gets here."

The black quarry diesel then heard the sound of a familiar bell.

"Oh, he's here." She tooted her horn in greeting, but when Toby came into the quarry, there were so many trucks, he couldn't see Mavis at all.

"Hello?" he called. "Mavis? Either my eyesight's failing because I'm getting old, or there's too many trucks for me to see you." He rang his bell again, hoping Mavis would hear him.

"I'm here!" she called, tooting again. This time, Toby saw some trucks moving into a siding.

"Oh, there you are," Toby sighed. "Rattle my cowcatchers! It's like a maze in here."

"You're not wrong there," remarked Annie.

"That is a lot of trucks," added Clarabel.

"If only Rosie didn't need repairs," Henrietta put in. "Bad timing to go to the Steamworks now."

"You can say that again, Henrietta," agreed Mavis. "Er, is it just me, or did I hear Annie and Clarabel talking as well?"

"No, we're here too," Annie called. "Toby brought us all together."

"Oh, goodness," gasped Mavis. "I guess it's not the first time this has happened. With Rosie and Daisy being out of action and Thomas away from the branch line, I mean." The quarry diesel then realized something - Toby would have to take three coaches and the trucks all at once. "Toby, are you sure you can handle the coaches and trucks by yourself?"

"I once took forty-eight vans of strawberries on my old tramway," said Toby. "This is nothing compared to that!"

Mavis looked over in admiration at Toby. "Wow… I didn't know you were that strong, Toby. But still, do be careful out there, alright? You three as well, Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta. And don't forget to fill up on water when you head the other way."

"I know my capabilities, Mavis," Toby replied, "but we'll be careful."

* * *

Unfortunately, as Toby had set off with his trucks, he had completely forgotten about his small water tank and Mavis' warning.

"Oh no!" gasped Toby while he was puffing along. "Curse my small water tank! Why didn't I fill up at the last station like Mavis said?"

"What do we do now?" asked Clarabel. "This is not good."

"Don't you worry, Toby," assured his driver. "I think I may have a plan when we get to the next station."

"Uh, Clarabel?" whispered Annie. "This isn't going where I _think _it's going, is it?"

"Oh, I hope not too," said Clarabel worryingly.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Henrietta curiously.

Toby and the coaches soon found out what the driver was planning when they came to a stop at the station. In his hands were a bucket and some rope. Toby was aghast when he realized what his driver was implying, and so were Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta.

"Driver, don't you remember what happened _last_ time with Thomas?!" he gasped. Then he and the coaches noticed the driver and fireman were laughing amongst themselves.

"I'm only pulling your wheels, Toby," the driver said, wiping his eye. Toby just glared at his driver with an unimpressed expression.

"Crew members," muttered Henrietta. "They tell us not to do things, and then they play jokes themselves."

"Well, how are we supposed to get water now?" asked Toby. Henrietta, Annie and Clarabel looked blank for ideas themselves.

"Do you suppose we could make it to the next water tower?" asked Annie.

"Let's hope so," said Toby. "That was not a funny joke, you know," he added sternly to his crew. Sheepish at not just Toby himself but the coaches as well, the driver and fireman hopped back into the tram engine's cab.

* * *

Toby needn't have worried too much; just in time, they had made it to Elsbridge station where he was able to refill on water.

"That's better," sighed Toby with relief. "If Mavis ever finds out I forgot to take _her _advice, I'll never hear the end of it."

"Very ironic, wouldn't you say, Toby?" joked Henrietta, and Annie and Clarabel couldn't help but giggle as well. Toby however, was unamused.

* * *

Toby was relieved when he and the coaches finally pulled into Knapford station. But before he could go off to have a rest, the stationmaster came up to him and his crew with some news.

"Rosie will soon be back at work," he said. "I've spoken with the manager at the Steamworks, and she said that Rosie will be ready for tomorrow."

"Well, that's good to hear," said Toby. "I'm sure Percy and Mavis will be pleased to hear that."

"Ah, about that," said the stationmaster. "Percy's been called up to the Little Western to help with the ballast runs, but he's ran into a bit of trouble with some trucks."

"That's not much of a surprise, is it?" the fireman smirked.

"This is serious, Clive," said the driver sharply. "That could mean more work for us."

"Afraid so," said the stationmaster. "You'll have to take the mail train in Percy's place tonight."

"Are you sure you'll be alright with that, Toby?" asked Clarabel with worry.

The tram engine pondered this for a moment. He was already worn out from his long day, and his eyes were having trouble staying open.

"Running a tramway solo on my old line was one thing," Toby said quietly. "This is something else…"

* * *

Later that evening, Toby sleepily made his way to find the mail vans, and he gently backed down.

"Just got to try to keep awake," Toby muttered to himself, suppressing a yawn. "Must keep the trains running on time…"

"Ooh, this isn't good," said the driver, shaking his head at the fireman. "Being underworked on our old line was a bad thing, but being overworked here is taking a toll on poor Toby."

But then, there was another problem…

"Wait!" a workman called, running up to them. "These vans are meant to go to the Steamworks to be serviced!"

"This is just not our day, is it?" groaned the fireman. "What are we going to use to carry the mail instead?"

"I have an… idea…" Toby suppressed another yawn. "Why not have Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta… carry the mail?"

"Hmm…" the driver thought. "Not a bad idea, old boy."

* * *

The three coaches were surprised when they heard about Toby's idea.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's the first time I've done it," Henrietta considered. "Back in the busy days of our old line, some mail was put in me when we didn't have enough mail vans to go around."

"I guess we could give it a shot," said Clarabel. "The mail must get through, rain or shine."

* * *

The first passenger train for tomorrow wasn't due out for several hours, so Annie and Clarabel didn't need to worry at the moment. Toby took the coaches all across Sodor, delivering mail to where it was needed. But as the night went on and gradually gave away to daylight, Toby began to feel more exhausted.

"Must… keep… going…" Toby couldn't suppress a yawn that time. "Mail must… get through…"

"I hope someone comes to help us soon," Annie said worriedly to Clarabel and Henrietta. "Poor Toby can't keep this up by himself."

"I'm afraid you're right, Annie," Clarabel sighed.

"Oh, poor Toby," sighed Henrietta. The tram engine gave off another yawn as they arrived at their last station.

"We're here," Clarabel realized. "Thank goodness. Maybe now Toby can get a break."

* * *

Toby and the coaches wearily made their way back to Ffarquhar. When they arrived, there stood Mavis, Percy and Rosie, and with them was Sir Topham Hatt.

"Oh, Toby!" Mavis gasped with shock. "You don't look well at all."

"Too much… work to do…" Toby muttered sleepily.

"I think you deserve a break," Rosie said sympathetically. "The three of us will handle the work for a while."

"Indeed, Rosie," Sir Topham Hatt agreed. "Toby, I know how hard you work and I am proud of any engine willing to put in as much effort as possible. But everyone has their limits, and I'm sure Thomas can attest to that. So Toby, you deserve a rest."

"And don't worry about Henrietta," Percy put in. "I'll look after her, as well as Annie and Clarabel until Thomas returns."

"Tha… thank you, sir," Toby managed to speak through a yawn. "And thank you, Percy."

* * *

As the other three engines set off to work, Toby backed down into the sheds and quickly fell asleep. It felt really good to rest after working so hard.

Outside the sheds, Percy and Rosie were tackling their own trains, Rosie had a goods train and Percy had Henrietta, Annie and Clarabel.

"If Daisy doesn't come back soon, we may need extra coaches down here," Percy commented. "Maybe Dexter and his friends would be available."

"If we knew what happened to that poor coach," said Annie. "He hasn't been in service for a long time."

"Heaven forbid if he's been scrapped," shuddered Clarabel.

"Ooh, let's not go into that chilling topic," Henrietta whispered.

Percy and Rosie too shuddered at this notion, hoping Clarabel's theory was incorrect.

"Well, I saw Daisy at the Steamworks," said Rosie, hoping to deflect their fears. "She had to have repairs there because from what she said, the Dieselworks' equipment at Vicarstown was inadequate, saying that using broken tools to fix her would be 'bad for her swerves'," she added, imitating Daisy at the last part.

"When does Daisy not say that some things are bad for her swerves?" chuckled Percy. "Whatever she means by them, anyway."

"Never mind, Percy," Clarabel shrugged. "Well, it's good that Daisy will be back, regardless."

Indeed, it would be good that the workload would lighten up a bit soon...

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

The mini-story arc continues with the rewrite of _Jitters and Japes_, and with 100% less Misty Island too! What it does have 100% more of, however, is Railway Series influence by in including bits of the story "Toby's Megatrain" as well as a reference to the annual story "The Strawberry Special", which was later adapted for the former story. Apart from references to the construction of the Search and Rescue Centre, there's not much else to comment on here, other than there's a set up to the next story in this set.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- _**Being Percy**_ \- Daisy, Rosie

\- _**Victor Says Yes**_ \- Victor

\- _**Surprise, Surprise**_ \- Oliver, Toad and Captain

\- _**Thomas' Crazy Day**_ \- Donald, Douglas and Paxton

\- _**Stuck on You**_ \- Butch and Dennis


	12. The Daisy and the Rose

**THE DAISY AND THE ROSE**

**Based upon "Being Percy" by Rachel Dawson**

Rosie is a lavender tank engine who sometimes helps out on Thomas' branch line. She's feisty, energetic, free-spirited and isn't afraid to get her buffers dirty, whether she's taking passengers or goods.

Recently, Rosie had come back from the Steamworks after going through some repairs and was now helping out on Thomas' branch line while he was away helping with the construction of the Search and Rescue Centre.

Rosie was chuffing down the line, excited at the thought of helping out on Thomas' branch line. At one station, Daisy the diesel railcar was allowing her passengers to depart.

"Hello, Daisy," Rosie greeted. "I see you're back in service again. But why did you go to the Steamworks for repairs rather than the Dieselworks at Vicarstown?"

"Their equipment was simply inadequate to fix me up," Daisy explained. "To use it to get me back in service would've been bad for my swerves."

"You think _everything_ is bad for your swerves, whatever they are," said Rosie cheekily. "Whatever will you think of next being bad for your swerves? _Flowers_?"

Daisy scoffed at Rosie's cheek, but politely kept her behavior in check.

"As another thing," she mentioned, "I heard that Sir Topham Hatt is bringing some new diesels to help run the Dieselworks. Hopefully, doing so will bring the building up to standard."

"Oh, really?" Rosie asked teasingly. "And how do you think they should do so; planting hanging flowers in the windowsill? Serving diesel oil to the sound of classic violin music? No, wait! Will they enforce a 'no buffers, no wheels, no service' rule?"

Daisy scowled. "Well, aren't we the comedian," she remarked sarcastically. "For your information, I think that the most important quality of a railway is being prim and proper."

"Prim and proper?" Rosie asked. "Nobody cares if a railway looks nice. What matters when it comes to a good railway is how hard its engines work."

"Did you just say I was lazy?!" Daisy nearly shrieked furiously.

"Oh, no, no," Rosie remarked cheekily. "Just a slight implication that you were merely too _afraid_ to do actual work. Why else would you tell so many lies about your fitter and your 'swerves' to get out of pulling trucks?"

"Why, I-I…" Daisy was so furious that she couldn't come up with an answer to justify her actions.

"Of course I'm not afraid of doing actual work!" Daisy said at last. "Just you wait, Rosie; I'll prove that I can be just as useful as the next engine!" With that, Daisy flounced crossly away.

"I'll give her by the end of the week," Rosie chuckled, not taking the diesel railcar seriously.

* * *

Meanwhile, Daisy was scouting around the branch line, looking for a chance to prove Rosie wrong.

"What's got your springs in a twist, Daisy?" asked Percy.

"It's that Rosie," Daisy scowled. "She had the absolute cheek to imply that I was afraid of doing actual work."

"Well, you _have_ bent the truth to convince others to do the jobs you were originally supposed to do," Percy admitted. "Remember when you first came to Sodor? And when I ended up in an accident with the trucks Toby was meant to take because of your carelessness?"

"Don't remind me," Daisy muttered. "The point is, I want to prove that silly tank engine that I'm not afraid of hard work. So, are there any trains I could help with?"

"Well, there are those trucks over there," said Percy, referring to some vans on a siding. "They're full of fruit meant to go to market at Tidmouth Town Square."

"I'll take it there."

Percy looked at Daisy with a surprised expression, as if she had a face on both cabs.

"_You_?" Percy asked. "I thought you hated goods."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Daisy insisted, backing up to the trucks. "We'll see who's afraid _now_…"

With that, Daisy was coupled to the vans, and she purred away.

"Well, that was unexpected," said Percy.

* * *

Daisy trundled along the line with her trucks feeling rather pleased with herself. Everywhere she went, the other engines looked very surprised to see Daisy, of all engines, pulling a goods train.

"I can't believe I went out of my way to avoid work like this," Daisy mused. "This is easier than I thought."

James was coming down the line with a passenger train and almost braked in surprise at seeing Daisy pulling a train.

"Daisy?!" James gawked. "Are you actually pulling a train?!"

"Indeed I am, James," grinned Daisy. "It looks like I'm not as lazy as you all believed."

* * *

Before long, Daisy arrived at Tidmouth Town Square, and her trucks were unloaded.

"Maybe now Rosie will change her tune," Daisy beamed. Just then, Toby pulled in with his faithful coach, Henrietta. The tram engine was surprised with what he was seeing.

"I never thought I'd see the day where you, of all engines, would be pulling a train," Toby gasped.

"Well, here I am taking trucks of my own accord," remarked Daisy. "That'll show Rosie that I'm anything but lazy." She was uncoupled from the trucks and purred away before Toby or Henrietta had a chance to reply.

* * *

As Daisy stopped at the depot to fill up on fuel, the stationmaster came to see her.

"I've just received word from Anopha Quarry," he said. "Mavis and Rosie need extra help. Would you find Percy and tell him he is needed there right away?"

"Or I could go down myself and lend a buffer," Daisy suggested.

"Er, are you sure about that?" asked the stationmaster.

"Are you implying I can't do it?" Daisy asked.

"Well, it's just the fact that you say pulling is bad for your swerves," the stationmaster explained. "Whatever those are…"

"I'm more than capable of handling the work," Daisy insisted. With that, the diesel railcar purred away to the quarry.

* * *

Over at Anopha Quarry, Mavis and Rosie were keeping the trucks in as best behavior as possible. But they were getting tired.

"I hope Percy gets here soon," Mavis panted.

"Same here," said Rosie. "If only Thomas hadn't gone to work on that Search and Rescue Centre."

Just then, they heard a horn. Rosie and Mavis were both surprised to see Daisy roll into the quarry.

"Daisy?" Mavis gasped. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I have come to give you two a hand with these trucks," explained Daisy. Rosie stared at Daisy for a moment or two before snorting with laughter.

"Good one," she chortled. "Now why are you _really_ here?"

"I'm serious," Daisy insisted. "I'm here to prove that I'm not afraid of hard work. Now which trucks shall I collect?"

"There's a load on that siding meant for the harbor," said Mavis, motioning towards a line of trucks. "But you may need some help with them."

"I can manage," Daisy insisted huffily. With that said, she reversed onto the trucks and was coupled up. But the trucks were comfortable, and didn't want to move. They also realized they had a different engine.

"Daisy never pulls us!" one of them told the others. "She says it's bad for her swerves!"

"Just what is a swerve, anyway?" asked another truck.

"Beats me," said a third. "Must be an engine thing."

"More like a diesel railcar thing!" a fourth replied cheekily. Daisy took no notice and tried to start up, but the train was a bit heavier than she realized.

"Come along! Come along!" Daisy groaned.

"Alright, don't fuss! Alright, don't fuss!" grumbled the trucks.

"She's asking for trouble," Mavis murmured. Rosie could only agree. The lavender tank engine was now beginning to wish she hadn't teased Daisy.

* * *

Daisy rolled along the line with the trucks clattering behind her.

"That'll show Rosie what real work is," Daisy grinned to herself. Unfortunately, she became so overconfident that she didn't realize what was going on. Daisy didn't realize that earlier, some crates of fish had broken on the line. And the workmen had forgotten to make sure the rails were properly cleaned from the scales and fish oil. As Daisy approached the harbor, her driver tried to stop to pin down the brakes.

"Nearly finished," smiled Daisy, feeling very pleased with herself. "One in the headlamp for Rosie." But she wasn't smiling anymore once her wheels began sliding on the rails.

"What in the world?! Driver!" she called out. "You're supposed to apply my brakes!"

"I'm trying!" replied her driver. "But we're not slowing down!" The trucks, meanwhile, saw this as a chance for fun.

"On! On! On!" they laughed.

"Stop! Stop!" wailed Daisy. There was more trouble up ahead for her; the points were set towards a siding with more vans of fish! The diesel railcar hit the vans with a loud crash! Fish flew all over the harbor, the trucks and Daisy herself, with a foul stench emanating all around.

"Ugh!" Daisy groaned with disgust. "What a pong! Now I see why James despises taking the Flying Kipper…"

* * *

Fortunately, no serious damage had been done. It wasn't long before Rosie arrived with Judy and Jerome. Sir Topham Hatt was on board.

"Daisy, you are not to blame for the rails not being cleaned properly," he told the diesel railcar, "but I am not a fan of fish that taste like oil!"

"I know, sir," sighed Daisy, still cringing at the smell. "I'm sorry, sir. I only wanted to prove Rosie wrong after she teased me about being afraid of doing actual work."

Sir Topham Hatt then turned to the lavender engine with a raised eyebrow. "Is this true, Rosie?" he asked calmly, yet still firmly.

"Y-yes, sir," Rosie shamefully admitted. "I didn't think that she'd go this far. I'm really sorry." Sir Topham Hatt shook his head in disbelief.

"Engines these days…" he sighed. "Do you like it when engines tease you about your paintwork, Rosie?"

"No, sir," Rosie admitted.

"Then why do you feel it necessary to tease others for their own faults?" Rosie realized that Sir Topham Hatt had a point, and looked down at her buffers shamefully.

* * *

While the workmen cleared away the mess, Rosie took Daisy to the works.

"I'm sorry I teased you, Daisy," said Rosie.

"And I'm sorry for acting so stuck up," Daisy faltered. "I guess I _do_ act too prissy for my own good sometimes. And I supposed this lesson helped knock a little sense into me."

"Does this mean you're going to start helping out more often?" asked Rosie.

"Just as long as I never have to see fish again," Daisy joked. The two friends just laughed. Rosie and Daisy are on much better terms these days. Rosie doesn't tease Daisy as much for acting so posh, and Daisy has promised to be more helpful around the line every once in a while.

* * *

When Daisy returned from her repairs, the other engines were waiting for her at the sheds.

"Welcome back, Daisy," Mavis greeted. "We rather missed you while you were gone."

"It's great to be back, dearies," agreed Daisy. "Hopefully nothing else will go wrong from here on out."

Suddenly, Percy sniffed at the air.

"There's a funny smell going around here," he said. "Can any of you smell it?"

"Oh, ha-ha," huffed Daisy, unamused. It would seem as though Percy was teasing her about her "fishy" incident.

"What do you smell, Percy?" asked Mavis.

"The smell of fresh air!" laughed Percy.

"Oh, of course," Daisy sighed with relief, and she laughed along with the other engines.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

Here's the rewrite to _Being Percy_, one of the better episodes out of series 14. Writing for Daisy was a lot of fun, especially with her trying to prove that she isn't afraid of pulling goods trains, only to have an accident. Rosie has always been a character in the show that's tricky to nail; at best, she's pretty generic. At worst, mostly in her debut story, she's a borderline stalker. For this story, she's basically a female Thomas, though she does understand when she's gone too far, even if her joking is harmless. Unlike Thomas, however, Rosie doesn't mind taking fish despite the smell, and is fine with any job she's given. This story once again is part of the Search and Rescue Centre story arc, but aside from a few references, it is largely self-contained and works well as a standalone story. This story also hints at an upcoming rewrite of _Day of the Diesels_, which is regarded by many to be one of the worst Thomas specials out there.

Upcoming rewrites:

\- _**Victor Says Yes**_ \- Victor

\- _**Surprise, Surprise**_ \- Oliver, Toad and Captain

\- _**Thomas' Crazy Day**_ \- Donald, Douglas and Paxton

\- _**Stuck on You**_ \- Butch and Dennis

\- _**Stop That Bus!**_ \- Bertie and Flynn


	13. Backlogged

**BACKLOGGED**

**Based upon "Victor Says Yes" by Denise Cassar**

**Ending based upon "Misty Island Rescue" by Sharon Miller**

Sir Topham Hatt had planned to build a Search and Rescue Centre south of Maron and east of Suddery. He had also arranged to have a crew taking residence there, such as Harold, Butch, Rocky and a newly acquired lifeboat called Captain, as well as two fire engines whom would soon be entering service. Construction was making good progress, but it was not without its share of snafus.

One of them involved Rosie before she broke her safety valve while helping Mavis at the quarry.

"How did that happen?" she asked her crew.

"Let's take a look," her driver said, while climbing out from her cab. After inspecting the damage, she brought forth the bad news.

"I think some bolts may have come loose while going over some rocks on the track."

"Botheration," sighed Rosie. "Now what am I going to do?"

"Don't worry, Rosie," assured Mavis. "I can handle the workload by myself for a bit."

"Thanks, Mavis," said Rosie. "I'm just worried as to who will take my next train of supplies for the Search and Rescue Centre."

"Hmm, with just me here, I don't think I'd be much help," Mavis said reasonably. "Maybe Emily could lend a buffer."

* * *

When Emily came to pick up Rosie, the lavender engine asked her if she could help.

"Of course I could," the emerald engine promised as they travelled down the mainline to the Steamworks.

"Thanks, Emily," smiled Rosie. "I'm glad you could lend a buffer. Just wish I didn't break down."

"Never you mind that, Rosie," said Emily. "It can happen to any engine. Thank goodness Hiro will be arriving from Japan to help us out."

"I bet a certain blue tank engine friend of ours will be excited to hear that," Rosie giggled.

"I'm sure he already is," replied Emily with a slight chuckle.

* * *

Soon, Emily and Rosie arrived at the Steamworks, where Victor greeted them with a warm smile.

"Good day, Emily and Rosie," he said cheerfully. "What can I do for the two of you?"

"I burst my safety valve while working at the quarry with Mavis," Rosie explained.

"Ah, I see," Victor said thoughtfully. "You just stay on that track over there, Rosie. We'll have that fixed in no time. Thanks for bringing her here, Emily."

"It's no problem, Victor," said Emily, leaving Rosie on the track she was told to. "I hope you're fixed up soon, Rosie. See you later, and goodbye, Victor." Emily then started to leave.

"See you later, Emily," called Rosie after her.

"Goodbye, Emily," Victor called as well. "Now, let's see what the workmen can do about this, Rosie."

* * *

The next day, Victor and Kevin were taken by surprise when Percy came to the Steamwoks with Daisy in tow.

"Er, boss, isn't Daisy supposed to be at the Dieselworks?" asked Kevin to Victor.

"I would," huffed Daisy, "but their equipment was simply dreadful and inadequate to repair me. Simply using it would've been-"

"Bad for your swerves," Percy interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I can't even count the times you haven't said that once in a day. And now I'll be late with my other duties," he finished with a sigh.

"You go back to work, Percy," Victor said calmly. "Daisy can wait on that track over there."

"Alright, Victor," said Percy, doing as he was instructed. "Hope that you two return to service soon. That Search and Rescue Centre isn't going to build itself! See you, Victor and Kevin."

"Catch you on the flipside, Percy," called Kevin as the little green tank engine left.

"You talk funny, little crane," Daisy noted.

"What's so funny about the way I talk?" grunted Kevin.

* * *

A couple of days went by, and just before Rosie was due back in service, Douglas had arrived at the Steamworks with Oliver in tow.

"Hello, Oliver," called Rosie. The workmen were doing tests on her to make sure she had been repaired properly. "What're you here for?"

"Oh, my brakes weren't working right when I tried to pull into the yards," Oliver sighed.

"That's not good," exclaimed Rosie. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Douglas managed to stop me before I could get into more serious trouble," Oliver replied, slightly chuckling as he said the next bit. "I swear, this is becoming a habit, Douglas."

"Ah jalouse it is," Douglas laughed. "Dinna fash yirsel, Oliver. Ah will keek efter Toad 'til ye git back. Where's Victor at?"

The Steamworks' narrow gauge engine came puffing in a moment later. Sir Handel was coupled up behind with a brake van in tow.

"What's happened with Sir Handel, Victor?" asked Oliver.

"Sir Handel was helping Rusty up a hill, and then a spring gave out," Victor explained.

"Now I know how Skarloey felt…" sighed Sir Handel. "I hope Rusty will be okay with the rest of his journey."

"Oh dear…" Kevin said quietly. "This is not good. I guess the workmen best get to work on these two straight away."

"Speaking o' wirk, Ah'd better git back tae helping Donal' 'n' Dook," Douglas said. "Catch ye efter, a' body. Git fixed up soon, Oliver 'n' Sur Handel."

"Catch you later, Douglas," Oliver called. "Thanks for the ride."

"How do you think this will affect things on your line, Sir Handel?" asked Rosie.

"With Duncan and Duke out of action? Not too well," the little blue engine admitted. "We need another engine to help us out for the Summer rush. Only if Luke was willing to help…" he muttered quietly, but just enough so no one heard that final remark.

Initially, Victor and Kevin were worried as to how things would go down with four engines needing repairs, but since Rosie was due back in service tomorrow, they didn't have to worry for long.

"Okay, so here's how it will go down," said Victor, addressing Oliver, Daisy and Sir Handel. "Sir Handel is needed as soon as possible on the Skarloey Railway, as is Oliver on the Little Western."

Sir Handel and Oliver were both pleased about their repairs taking top priority, but Daisy was not happy about that.

"But what about my springs?!" she cried indignantly. "Sir Handel needs a spring repaired, so why not _moi_?"

"The Skarloey Railway has an engine shortage at the moment," Victor argued. "With Duncan and Duke on overhaul and Sir Handel also here, there's only four engines operating there."

_Well, __**five**_, Sir Handel thought to himself, _but we promised Luke to keep him a secret_...

"He has a point, you know," said Oliver to Daisy. The diesel railcar rolled her eyes, but secretly, she knew that Victor was right.

"I hope it doesn't take too long," she said to herself. But she had spoken too soon.

* * *

A few days went by, and by then, Sir Handel's broken spring had been fixed, as were Oliver's brakes.

"Thanks, Victor and Kevin," called Oliver. "I'd better get back to work. I hope Toad and Douglas haven't bonded _too _much since I was gone," he added with a chuckle.

"See you two later," added Sir Handel. "I'll say hello to the other engines on our line for you."

Daisy was sorry to see them leave, but she was glad for Oliver and Sir Handel returning to service, and even gladder that her repairs were finally taking priority. As the workmen set to work replacing her broken springs, Daisy noticed Henry bringing in Judy and Jerome into the Steamworks.

"Oh my," exclaimed Daisy. "Whatever has happened to them?"

"We… kind of bit off more than we could chew," Judy said, embarrassed.

"Judy and Jerome tried proving that they were just as good as Rocky when it came to rescues," Henry explained, "but a lack of maintenance seems to have finally caught up with them.

"Oh dear…" Victor gasped. "Bring them in, Henry. We'll tend to them as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Victor," said Jerome. "We'll need the repairs."

"Dear me, boss," remarked Kevin. "I don't remember the Steamworks being _this_ busy before. Even my brief stint in charge doesn't compare to this!"

"I know, Kevin," Victor sighed. "I'm wondering if the Steamworks was ever this busy _before _we came to Sodor… Thank goodness Sir Topham Hatt is planning on restoring those Dieselworks at Vicarstown."

* * *

It wasn't long before Daisy, Judy and Jerome were finally repaired and brought back into service. Victor and Kevin both felt relieved.

"Finally," sighed Victor. "Everything's back under control."

"Hopefully things will quiet down after how many engines we've had to help out," Kevin agreed, but he had spoken too soon, for Sir Topham Hatt had just arrived at the Steamworks in his car.

"Good day, you two," he greeted as he walked up to them. "I see that things have settled down around here."

"That is true, sir," Victor said with a smile. "We've got things back under control."

"Excellent," said Sir Topham Hatt. "Now, I came to see you two because, well… we have a new engine arriving very soon."

"A new engine, sir?" exclaimed Kevin, rolling up in excitement.

"Yes, Kevin, but for now, I wish to keep this secret," said Sir Topham Hatt. "We've consulted her about this, and she's agreed to let the workmen make some experimental modifications to her."

"What sort of modifications are they, sir?" asked Victor.

"Long and short," explained Sir Topham Hatt, "we shall be making her the first fire-fighting locomotive! Victor, Kevin, workmen of the Steamworks, I introduce you all to Belle!"

An unfamiliar whistle sounded out, and puffing forwards was a large black tank engine with two leading wheels, six driving wheels, and four wheels underneath her cab and bunker.

"Hello, everyone," greeted Belle. "I hope I'm at the right location. Er… Sodor Steamworks at Crovan's Gate?"

"That is correct, Belle," affirmed Victor. "Welcome to Sodor."

"Thank you," smiled Belle. "Oh, what was your name?"

"It's Victor," the narrow gauge engine replied. "That's Kevin over there…" The young road crane moved his arm up and down as if waving hello. "...and I'm sure you've met Sir Topham Hatt already."

"A pleasure to meet you," Belle said warmly. "And yes, I have met Sir Topham Hatt. I can't wait to meet the others on Sodor, but if this project is to be a secret for now…" She giggled at the thought. "I guess I can have fun with keeping this quiet."

"Well, in that case, I'm sure the workmen can get to work on you right away, Belle," Victor said as confidently as he could.

"Thank you, Victor," said Belle.

The big tank engine had been moved onto a siding out of the way so no engine could see her, nor could they see what the workmen would do with her. Just in case, some surrounds had been put in place to keep Belle's presence quiet.

"How do you think Belle will manage as a fire-fighting engine, boss?" asked Kevin. "Almost seems like a bit of a waste of potential given how good she could be as a utility engine."

"Well, Kevin," said Victor, "I'm sure that Sir Topham Hatt will still allow her to pull trains out on the mainline if required. Belle being a fire-fighting engine isn't actually a new concept, you see; an older tank engine from Brighton had been fitted with fire-fighting equipment to help out with bombing attacks at motive power depots during wartime."

"Really?" asked Kevin with amazement. "Wow, boss! I'd have loved to have met that engine, ask him or her what it was like to be a fire-fighting engine."

* * *

The next day, apart from work on modifying Belle for fire-fighting service, was fairly quiet at the Steamworks. But not for long, as Rosie had pulled into the entrance with Daisy in tow.

"Back so soon?" exclaimed Victor with surprise. "What's happened now?"

"Had an accident with some fish vans," groaned Daisy. "A few dents and scratches, and I doubt that smell is going to go away for a while. Ugh!"

"Well, at least you're not the only branch line engine to hate fish," Rosie noted. "Remember Thomas' fishing incident? Or Duck crashing into the Flying Kipper?"

Speaking of whom, Thomas had just been brought to the Steamworks being towed by Emily.

"You too, Thomas?" asked Daisy with surprise. "What's happened with you, darling?"

"My whistle broke after some silly boys thought it'd be funny to drop stones all over me," Thomas grumbled. "I had to be brought to the nearest siding to avoid an accident, and now my paint's all scratched!"

"At least you didn't try to sneeze on anyone like Henry did," said Emily. "Sir Topham Hatt would not have approved, nor would he approve of engines running about with broken whistles."

* * *

Soon, Thomas and Daisy were shunted onto their respective sidings, and then Emily and Rosie went back to work. No sooner had the two engines gotten settled in awaiting their repairs (and a thorough cleaning, in Daisy's case), Stanley had arrived with some trucks that had been recovered following an accident on the mainline.

"I swear, these trucks don't care for their own health and safety," Stanley noted. "All they care about is causing mayhem for whoever's pulling them! Thank goodness that Donald didn't get damaged," he added with a sigh of relief.

Before Victor could tell Stanley where to put the damaged trucks, James pulled in with some red coaches in tow.

"They're overdue for a repaint," James explained. "Hopefully it won't take long before they look splendid again." Victor was beginning to feel rather overwhelmed with how many engines and rolling stock needed maintenance, but he still tried to maintain his cool.

"Just set them in the sidings, James," he said. "We will get to them as soon as possible."

"You got it, Victor," James said. "I'll catch you later," he added as the red engine went back to work.

* * *

Later that day, while the coaches were being repainted, Edward pulled in with Gordon.

"Hello, Edward. Hello, Gordon," Kevin greeted. "What's up?"

"My safety valve has been blocked," groaned Gordon, "and with it being so close to the Search and Rescue Centre's opening day as well…"

"Gordon was meant to take important passengers that day," Edward explained. "He can't do it with a blocked safety valve."

"Oh, I understand," said Kevin. "Victor's out back right now, I'll go get him." He then rolled over to where Victor was speaking with Belle.

"Erm, boss?" he whispered, hoping not to cause too much of a scene. "Another engine is to be mended."

"I hope it's not too urgent," Victor sighed. "We're quite pressed for time as is."

"That's the thing." Kevin bit his lip. "It's Gordon… he's supposed to be taking important passengers to the opening of the Search and Rescue Centre, and the opening day is very soon."

Victor's eyes widened when he heard what his assistant had said.

"What?!" he gasped. "Do you know how many days we've got until the opening day, exactly?"

Kevin looked at a nearby calendar on the wall. "Two days."

"Two days?!" exclaimed Victor. "Why did this have to come up _now_?!"

"W-well, breakdowns happen at any time…" Kevin said quietly, now being very nervous.

"Then we'd better get Gordon ready for the opening ceremony as soon as possible!" cried Victor, and he raced off before Kevin or Belle had a chance to reply.

"Is Victor usually this stressed?" asked Belle.

"Not usually, no," admitted Kevin.

"I guess busy days can get to some engines," Belle said quietly. "Give him time, he'll cool out."

But I'm afraid the chance never came. Before long, Mavis pulled in with Charlie.

"Sorry for dropping in unannounced," Mavis apologized. "But my skirt's been dragging the rails a bit, and it needs tightening."

"And my driver says my brakes have been sounding funny when I stop," Charlie added. "Think there's time to check them over?"

All Victor could do now was turn on the turntable, looking at all the engines and rolling stock that still needed to be repaired, some claiming that their repairs were more important than others. As soon as the turntable stopped, Victor raced out of the Steamworks, letting loose a long, loud scream of frustration.

"What's eating him?" asked Charlie, not understanding what had been going on beforehand.

"I don't know," Mavis said quietly. "Victor's usually so patient, cheerful and understanding…"

* * *

Down near Crovan's Gate sheds, Peter Sam was leaving some empty coaches in the yard and was about to get some water for his goods run, when Victor came in, looking frustrated.

"Oh my goodness," Peter Sam gasped. "What's the matter, Victor?"

"So many engines," Victor explained while trying to find his happy place. "I try my best to keep the engines running properly in the Steamworks. But no matter how I do, more and more just keep coming! It's like a never ending parade!" Tears began to stream down Victor's face. "I know I'm supposed to keep a level head, and be there for any engine in need, but I can't handle all that stress at once! I just can't!"

"Victor…" trailed Peter Sam softly. "No engine is perfect. It's okay to not feel okay. Believe me, that's something I had to figure out the hard way."

"How did you manage to cope with it?" asked Victor.

"I just try and slow down a bit to take a breather," Peter Sam explained. "This allows me to help clear my smokebox and think about the best way to deal with the situation. In your case, it's to figure out the schedule for who gets fixed next."

Victor closed his eyes, and took a deep breath as he slipped into a relaxed smile. Before long, he reopened his eyes.

"Thank you for that, Peter Sam," he smiled. "Have you ever thought about becoming a therapist or a counselor?"

Peter Sam chuckled. "Sir Handel suggested it to me once." He took a look at the time. "I'd better refill my water tank and get moving. Catch you later, Victor."

* * *

Back at the Steamworks, Thomas, Gordon, Daisy, Mavis and Charlie were still wondering over what they had just seen. Kevin was doing everything he could to try and keep things under control.

"I hope Victor doesn't take too long," the little crane said worriedly. Just then, a familiar whistle sounded, and pulling in was Victor, now calm and mellow again.

"Sorry, everybody," he addressed the engines. "I was a bit stressed out. But now we have to figure out who takes precedence for their repairs"

"Well," Gordon started, "perhaps it would be fair for the engine who was here first to be the first to be repaired."

"But some of our ailments aren't very serious," Thomas admitted. "I just need my whistle fixed."

"Well, okay then, I'll take that into account." Victor said reasonably. "And Daisy, you only need a thorough cleaning, correct?"

"And a few dents that need attending to," Daisy added.

"Right, and Mavis and Charlie, you two just got here," Victor commented. "What're your reasons for being here?"

"My skirts need to be tightened so they don't drag on the wheels," said Mavis. "Work on the quarry has slowed down a bit, and hopefully Toby will manage okay in my absence."

"And with me out of action, Stanley will have to manage odd jobs on his own," Charlie added. "I need my brakes to be fixed."

Victor paused for a moment, thinking what would be the best course of action to take.

"Here's how it will go," he decided at last. "I shall have Gordon fixed first so he may collect his important visitors for the opening ceremony."

"That sounds reasonable, boss." Kevin agreed.

"After that, I will check Charlie's brakes."

"Right then," said Charlie.

"And Daisy," said Victor, "we should probably wash out that fishy smell as soon as possible. The damage in your accident wasn't too bad, so you should be back in service very soon."

"Thank heavens," sighed Daisy in relief.

Victor was as good as his word. In no time, Gordon's safety valve was repaired. And once he was gone, the workmen set to work checking Charlie's brakes, cleaning Daisy, tightening Mavis' skirt, and fixing Thomas' whistle. And during the whole time, Victor was much more calm and in control thanks to his talk with Peter Sam.

* * *

It wasn't long before two days had gone by and Gordon was tasked to take the important passengers to the Search and Rescue Centre. The big blue engine beamed with pride as he arrived at his destination without incident or delay. Sir Topham Hatt greeted the passengers as they boarded out of Gordon's coaches before walking up to the podium to make his speech. Several other engines, including Thomas and Hiro, were also gathered for the opening ceremony.

"Ladies and gentlemen, engines and children," he began, "this Search and Rescue Centre was a long time coming. Many of us have worked around the clock to make sure it was ready on time, despite a few… erm, hiccups along the way…" Some of the engines glanced over at once other, abashed, before Sir Topham Hatt continued.

"But despite these snafus, they continued to prove themselves to be really useful engines and we've also assembled a team to work together to help protect Sodor from danger - Harold, Butch, Rocky, and our new lifeboat Captain." He motioned over to the four, who all beamed with pride as their respective names were said.

"The team is not quite fully assembled, however," Sir Topham Hatt went on, "for we will soon see two more members for the Search and Rescue Centre enter service within the next few weeks or so. I'm sure that they will be really useful in helping to keep Sodor safe for years to come. Without further ado, I now declare the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre… open!"

Sir Topham Hatt then cut the ribbon with a pair of scissors, and everyone cheered with excitement, looking forward to a bright future for the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre and its team.

* * *

As the celebrations went on for the grand ceremony, up above on the cliff face near the completed high bridge, a big, menacing diesel engine painted in ochre with tan stripes and a gigantic claw on his roof moved slowly forwards before coming to a stop. He quietly chuckled before speaking to the engines beneath:

"You'll be laughing on the other side of your boilers soon… foolish puffballs!" he growled, snapping his claw, as if to emphasize his point. He then let out a sinister chuckle which gradually crescendoed into a full-blown cackle, before he let out a gasp, as if something had been caught in his throat. "Yes…"

**THE END?**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

We are now officially at the halfway point for _Series 13-16 Redux_! This rewrite of Victor Says Yes marks the end of the story arc for the construction of the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, taking place during the events of the previous four stories (_A Hiro's Return_, _No Crane, No Gain_, _A Busy Day for Toby_ and _The Daisy and the Rose_), not dissimilar to an approach taken in series 19, and serving as a lead in to the _Day of the Diesels_ rewrite. Speaking of which, this story also marks the debut of Belle, providing an explanation as to how she ended up with her fire-fighting modifications, as well as a few hints as to what's to come for _Blue Mountain Mystery_ what with Luke being mentioned, as well as a brief mention as to what's happened with Duke. We even added in a few nods to the first four series as well as the Railway Series with Douglas looking after Toad (though it isn't seen) while Oliver is at the Steamworks.

Upcoming rewrites:

_Surprise, Surprise_ \- Oliver, Toad and Captain

_Thomas' Crazy Day_ \- Donald, Douglas and Paxton

_Stuck on You_ \- Butch and Dennis

_Stop That Bus!_ \- Bertie and Flynn

_Thomas and Scruff_ \- Scruff, Den and Dart


End file.
